Enhancing Food Security Through Sustainable Diets and Postharvest Innovation in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

  • 703

    Total views and downloads

About this Research Topic

Submission deadlines

  1. Manuscript Summary Submission Deadline 14 July 2025 | Manuscript Submission Deadline 1 November 2025

  2. This Research Topic is still accepting articles.

Background

Integrating sustainable diets and food systems governance is crucial for addressing malnutrition, responsible for about 45% of under-five deaths worldwide, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Effective governance of food systems can enhance nutritional outcomes and reduce food loss, with post-harvest technology and innovative processing techniques playing a key role.

Exploring advancements in these areas can improve nutritional quality and safety, empowering smallholder farmers and food industries to create value-added, nutritious products, thereby strengthening food and nutrition security. This research collection will examine the links between sustainable diets, food systems governance, and post-harvest innovations, contributing to global efforts to combat malnutrition and promote healthier, more sustainable food systems.

Integrating sustainable diets and food systems governance is also vital for reducing food loss and waste, notably in low- and middle-income countries. Inefficient handling, inadequate storage, and limited access to modern processing techniques lead to food deterioration and economic losses, worsening food insecurity. Many stakeholders struggle with a lack of knowledge to implement effective post-harvest practices. Recent advancements, such as innovative storage solutions, non-thermal processing techniques, and biodegradable packaging, are essential for improving food security and empowering stakeholders. Applications that assist farmers and traders in monitoring produce quality and connecting with markets are also crucial. Innovations like high-pressure processing and pulsed electric fields help preserve nutritional value, while automation improves efficiency. Examining how stakeholders can efficiently use these technologies to enhance food quality and reduce loss can create a more sustainable food industry that meets consumer demand for healthier options, ultimately contributing to more sustainable systems.

Furthermore, women play a pivotal role in food processing, particularly in LMICs, where they are heavily involved in both formal and informal sectors, including street food vending. In many LMICs, food processing activities are predominantly carried out by women, offering vital income-generating opportunities while also providing affordable and accessible food options for urban populations. Hence, strengthening the capacity of women food vendors through improved access to processing technologies, food safety training, and innovative postharvest solutions can significantly reduce food loss, improve food quality, and contribute to more resilient and sustainable urban food systems.

The scope of this Research Topic encompasses the intersection of sustainable diets, food systems governance, post-harvest technology, and innovative processing techniques, focusing on enhancing nutritional quality and reducing food loss. It also considers the need for gender-sensitive approaches in food system interventions.
Contributors are encouraged to explore:

• Strategies and technologies for minimizing quantitative and qualitative food loss (macro and micro nutrient loss) at supply chain stages, including smart storage solutions and packaging innovations.
• Innovative processing techniques and their impact on food quality and safety.
• Development of sustainable processing technologies that reduce energy consumption and waste.
• Research on food safety protocols and quality assurance in post-harvest and processing stages.
• The role of supportive policies and food system governance in promoting sustainable food systems and technologies.
• Consumer preferences for sustainable products and their impact on food systems.
• The role of nutrition education and awareness in promoting sustainable diets.
• Roles, challenges, and contributions of women in formal and informal food processing sectors in LMICs
• Development and dissemination of postharvest technologies that are accessible, affordable, and gender-responsive

Contributors are encouraged to explore various strategies and innovations that enhance these aspects for a comprehensive understanding of their implementation and impact.

Research Topic Research topic image

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

  • Brief Research Report
  • Community Case Study
  • Conceptual Analysis
  • Data Report
  • Editorial
  • General Commentary
  • Hypothesis and Theory
  • Methods
  • Mini Review

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Keywords: sustainable diets, food system, post-harvest, nutrient preservation, quantitative food loss reduction, qualitative food loss reduction, sustainable food product development

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.

Topic editors

Frequently asked questions

  • Frontiers' Research Topics are collaborative hubs built around an emerging theme.Defined, managed, and led by renowned researchers, they bring communities together around a shared area of interest to stimulate collaboration and innovation.

    Unlike section journals, which serve established specialty communities, Research Topics are pioneer hubs, responding to the evolving scientific landscape and catering to new communities.

  • The goal of Frontiers' publishing program is to empower research communities to actively steer the course of scientific publishing. Our program was implemented as a three-part unit with fixed field journals, flexible specialty sections, and dynamically emerging Research Topics, connecting communities of different sizes and maturity.

    Research Topics originate from the scientific community. Many of our Research Topics are suggested by existing editorial board members who have identified critical challenges or areas of interest in their field.

  • As an editor, Research Topics will help you build your journal, as well as your community, around emerging, cutting-edge research. As research trailblazers, Research Topics attract high-quality submissions from leading experts all over the world.

    A thriving Research Topic can potentially evolve into a new specialty section if there is sustained interest and a growing community around it.

  • Each Research Topic must be approved by the specialty chief editor, and it falls under the editorial oversight of our editorial boards, supported by our in-house research integrity team. The same standards and rigorous peer review processes apply to articles published as part of a Research Topic as for any other article we publish.

    In 2023, 80% of the Research Topics we published were edited or co-edited by our editorial board members, who are already familiar with their journal's scope, ethos, and publishing model. All other topics are guest edited by leaders in their field, each vetted and formally approved by the specialty chief editor.

  • Publishing your article within a Research Topic with other related articles increases its discoverability and visibility, which can lead to more views, downloads, and citations. Research Topics grow dynamically as more published articles are added, causing frequent revisiting, and further visibility.

    As Research Topics are multidisciplinary, they are cross-listed in several fields and section journals – increasing your reach even more and giving you the chance to expand your network and collaborate with researchers in different fields, all focusing on expanding knowledge around the same important topic.

    Our larger Research Topics are also converted into ebooks and receive social media promotion from our digital marketing team.

  • Frontiers offers multiple article types, but it will depend on the field and section journals in which the Research Topic will be featured. The available article types for a Research Topic will appear in the drop-down menu during the submission process.

    Check available article types here 

  • Yes, we would love to hear your ideas for a topic. Most of our Research Topics are community-led and suggested by researchers in the field. Our in-house editorial team will contact you to talk about your idea and whether you’d like to edit the topic. If you’re an early-stage researcher, we will offer you the opportunity to coordinate your topic, with the support of a senior researcher as the topic editor. 

    Suggest your topic here 

  • A team of guest editors (called topic editors) lead their Research Topic. This editorial team oversees the entire process, from the initial topic proposal to calls for participation, the peer review, and final publications.

    The team may also include topic coordinators, who help the topic editors send calls for participation, liaise with topic editors on abstracts, and support contributing authors. In some cases, they can also be assigned as reviewers.

  • As a topic editor (TE), you will take the lead on all editorial decisions for the Research Topic, starting with defining its scope. This allows you to curate research around a topic that interests you, bring together different perspectives from leading researchers across different fields and shape the future of your field. 

    You will choose your team of co-editors, curate a list of potential authors, send calls for participation and oversee the peer review process, accepting or recommending rejection for each manuscript submitted.

  • As a topic editor, you're supported at every stage by our in-house team. You will be assigned a single point of contact to help you on both editorial and technical matters. Your topic is managed through our user-friendly online platform, and the peer review process is supported by our industry-first AI review assistant (AIRA).

  • If you’re an early-stage researcher, we will offer you the opportunity to coordinate your topic, with the support of a senior researcher as the topic editor. This provides you with valuable editorial experience, improving your ability to critically evaluate research articles and enhancing your understanding of the quality standards and requirements for scientific publishing, as well as the opportunity to discover new research in your field, and expand your professional network.

  • Yes, certificates can be issued on request. We are happy to provide a certificate for your contribution to editing a successful Research Topic.

  • Research Topics thrive on collaboration and their multi-disciplinary approach around emerging, cutting-edge themes, attract leading researchers from all over the world.

  • As a topic editor, you can set the timeline for your Research Topic, and we will work with you at your pace. Typically, Research Topics are online and open for submissions within a few weeks and remain open for participation for 6 – 12 months. Individual articles within a Research Topic are published as soon as they are ready.

    Find out more about our Research Topics

  • Our fee support program ensures that all articles that pass peer review, including those published in Research Topics, can benefit from open access – regardless of the author's field or funding situation.

    Authors and institutions with insufficient funding can apply for a discount on their publishing fees. A fee support application form is available on our website.

  • In line with our mission to promote healthy lives on a healthy planet, we do not provide printed materials. All our articles and ebooks are available under a CC-BY license, so you can share and print copies.

Manuscripts can be submitted to this Research Topic via the main journal or any other participating journal.

Impact

  • 703Topic views
View impact