Projected to reach ten billion by 2050, the global population requires a 50% boost in food production, intensifying pressures on existing supply chains. Currently, the food industry produces 400 million tonnes of protein and 1,150 million metric tonnes of vegetables annually, frequently packaged in plastic. Despite plastic's versatility, 44% of the 390 million metric tonnes produced in 2021 were used for packaging, with agriculture requiring an additional 6.5 million tonnes of plastic film mulch yearly. Food and beverage packaging has contributed 16% to global plastic production since the 1950s, and less than 10% is recycled globally. This results in an overwhelming waste burden, with plastics transforming into micro and nanoplastics, posing risks to human and environmental health, including soil fertility loss and contamination of the food chain. This special issue addresses these challenges comprehensively, aiming to present solutions for sustainable and resilient global food systems, focusing on analytical techniques and mitigation strategies throughout the food chain.
Plastic pollution, albeit a well-documented environmental concern for the past few decades, is still in its infant stages of exploration regarding the impacts of human activities, especially with respect to food systems. Although international regulations encompass various aspects of the food system value chain, from drinking water to environmental quality, the understanding of contamination in these contexts is in its early phases. This special issue addresses this gap, focusing on scientific exploration within aquatic (e.g. aqua or mariculture) and terrestrial (e.g. agriculture or livestock) food production systems. Aligned with global efforts promoting circular economy value chains and goals of Zero Pollution and Farm to Fork initiatives, the issue seeks contributions highlighting best practices, global, national, or regional case studies, and research papers aimed at assessing, preventing, minimizing, remediating, eliminating, and controlling micro and nanoplastic concentrations across the entire food production value chain. Additionally, we invite research on method standardization, safety procedures, and supply chain links, aiming to provide a comprehensive scientific foundation contributing to policy and global sustainable development endeavors.
This research topic invites researchers to submit original research, comprehensive or mini-reviews, and short communications focusing on the detection, reduction of plastic and microplastics across the entire food chain—from extraction and production to disposal. The scope of this research topic encompasses various topics, including but not limited to:
• Microplastic sources in food systems from agriculture and aquaculture
• Effects of plastic usage in agricultural production on soil and on crops
• Plastic usage in aquaculture and its effects on cultivated species and the surrounding environment
• Alternatives to agricultural plastics and their potential effects on soil, crops, and human health
• Contribution of wastewater sludge to the dispersion and increase of microplastic loadings in agricultural production and marine pollution
• Contamination of foods with microplastics and migration of plastic additives into food via plastic packaging
• Microplastics in processed and unprocessed foods and their potential impacts on human health
• Socioeconomic dimensions of exposure to microplastics through the food supply chain.
Keywords:
Soil pollution, food safety, agroecosystem, microplastic, food contamination, aquaculture
Important Note:
All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
Projected to reach ten billion by 2050, the global population requires a 50% boost in food production, intensifying pressures on existing supply chains. Currently, the food industry produces 400 million tonnes of protein and 1,150 million metric tonnes of vegetables annually, frequently packaged in plastic. Despite plastic's versatility, 44% of the 390 million metric tonnes produced in 2021 were used for packaging, with agriculture requiring an additional 6.5 million tonnes of plastic film mulch yearly. Food and beverage packaging has contributed 16% to global plastic production since the 1950s, and less than 10% is recycled globally. This results in an overwhelming waste burden, with plastics transforming into micro and nanoplastics, posing risks to human and environmental health, including soil fertility loss and contamination of the food chain. This special issue addresses these challenges comprehensively, aiming to present solutions for sustainable and resilient global food systems, focusing on analytical techniques and mitigation strategies throughout the food chain.
Plastic pollution, albeit a well-documented environmental concern for the past few decades, is still in its infant stages of exploration regarding the impacts of human activities, especially with respect to food systems. Although international regulations encompass various aspects of the food system value chain, from drinking water to environmental quality, the understanding of contamination in these contexts is in its early phases. This special issue addresses this gap, focusing on scientific exploration within aquatic (e.g. aqua or mariculture) and terrestrial (e.g. agriculture or livestock) food production systems. Aligned with global efforts promoting circular economy value chains and goals of Zero Pollution and Farm to Fork initiatives, the issue seeks contributions highlighting best practices, global, national, or regional case studies, and research papers aimed at assessing, preventing, minimizing, remediating, eliminating, and controlling micro and nanoplastic concentrations across the entire food production value chain. Additionally, we invite research on method standardization, safety procedures, and supply chain links, aiming to provide a comprehensive scientific foundation contributing to policy and global sustainable development endeavors.
This research topic invites researchers to submit original research, comprehensive or mini-reviews, and short communications focusing on the detection, reduction of plastic and microplastics across the entire food chain—from extraction and production to disposal. The scope of this research topic encompasses various topics, including but not limited to:
• Microplastic sources in food systems from agriculture and aquaculture
• Effects of plastic usage in agricultural production on soil and on crops
• Plastic usage in aquaculture and its effects on cultivated species and the surrounding environment
• Alternatives to agricultural plastics and their potential effects on soil, crops, and human health
• Contribution of wastewater sludge to the dispersion and increase of microplastic loadings in agricultural production and marine pollution
• Contamination of foods with microplastics and migration of plastic additives into food via plastic packaging
• Microplastics in processed and unprocessed foods and their potential impacts on human health
• Socioeconomic dimensions of exposure to microplastics through the food supply chain.
Keywords:
Soil pollution, food safety, agroecosystem, microplastic, food contamination, aquaculture
Important Note:
All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.