The Asian Journal of Agriculture and Development December 2024 issue contributes seven new studies and a book review to the knowledge base of timely themes on global food prices, sustainable food system, food security, value chain, income diversification, and hunger and poverty.
Based on findings in the paper "Unveiling Socioeconomic Factors Shaping Global Food Prices and Security: A Machine Learning Approach," Professor Shan Shan of Zhejiang University, China, concludes that harnessing machine learning techniques and understanding socioeconomic variables are necessary to help policymakers make informed decisions on improving global food prices and security.
Researchers from Thailand, China, Myanmar, Lao PDR, and Vietnam collaborated to develop a framework for conservation strategies of edible flowers according to their article "Developing a Framework for Edible Flower Conservation in the Mekong Region." The collaboration of Dr. Pongsakorn Suppakittpaisarna of the Chiang Mai University, Thailand, and his co-authors resulted in a continuing partnership that centers on community engagement that aims to balance cultural heritage preservation with environmental sustainability to safeguard Mekong's unique botanical and cultural identity.
In their research "Antioxidant Dietary Fiber from the Bran of Five Philippine Pigmented Rice Varieties," Professor Jennifer Fronteras and her co-authors found that all the bran samples from five Philippine pigmented rice varieties are potential sources of antioxidants, which are beneficial for health. The Calatrava rice variety showed the highest total dietary fiber, including the highest antioxidant property that can be potentially used as nutraceuticals or source of nutritious food.
It was found in the paper "Assessing Handling Practices and Loss Factors in the Pineapple Value Chain in Camarines Norte, Philippines" several critical loss points at various stages of the pineapple value chain from preharvesting to postharvesting. Arjay Gerance of the Kasetsart University, Thailand, and L'Institut Agro Montpellier, France, and his co-authors call for government intervention to improve standardization and regulatory practices. These include preharvest treatments, improving infrastructure and road networks, and market access.
Meanwhile, results in their study "Effects of Farm Income Diversification and Labor Out-Migration on Rice Household Productivity in Indonesia" showed Professor Masako Morioka of Obihiro University, Japan, and her co-authors that farmers' income gained outside of agriculture did not compensate for the loss that impacted on agricultural productivity because of the labor shift. For the authors, this calls for interventions that would increase farm productivity in the face of lower labor use on the farms.
"The SWS Surveys of Philippine Hunger, 1998–2024" paper by Dr. Mahar Mangahas, Chair Emeritus of the Social Weather Station, and his co-author Christine Belle Torres shows that hunger has been volatile for decades and there is no long-term decline in rates. Nonetheless, they provide a peek at the great wealth of information available to the public from the SWS series of scientific national surveys about human well-being in general, not only hunger. Other related topics are poverty, food-poverty, poverty thresholds, and food-poverty thresholds.
In her book review, Professor Julieta Delos Reyes of the University of the Philippines Los Baños finds "Food Economics: Agriculture, Nutrition, and Health" helpful in simplifying complex economic theories. She recommends it for those averse to numbers but want to fully understand economic concepts related to everyday choices.
AJAD is an international refereed journal published by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA). AJAD publishes articles resulting from empirical, policy-oriented, or institutional development studies, as well as articles of perspectives on agriculture and development, political economy of rural development, and trade issues.
Submissions are welcome all year-round through https://ajad.searca.org. All the new and past papers published in AJAD are available from the same site for free, while print copies are also available through subscription.
The editorial board is headed by Dr. Cielito F. Habito, professor of economics at the Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines and director of the Ateneo Center for Economic Research and Development. He is also a former cabinet member of the Philippine government, having served as Socioeconomic Planning Secretary and Director General of the National Economic and Development Authority of the Philippines.