Integrating Clean Energy and Digital Innovations into Sustainable Rural Food Systems: Pathways to Enhanced Human Nutrition in Developing Economies

The field of sustainable diets in rural food systems is gaining increasing attention, particularly in developing economies. The primary challenges faced by these systems include persistent malnutrition and undernutrition, which are further exacerbated by unequal access to clean energy and limited digital innovation. Current debates are increasingly focused on how to seamlessly integrate clean energy sources—including solar, wind, hydroelectric, modern bioenergy, and emerging technologies such as green hydrogen—alongside digital tools, into food systems to improve human nutritional outcomes. Each form of clean energy offers distinct benefits and challenges:

o Solar energy powers irrigation, refrigeration, and food processing, enhancing productivity and food safety.
o Wind and micro-hydro solutions offer decentralized electricity to off-grid communities, supporting food storage and agro-processing.
o Modern biogas systems transform agricultural waste into clean cooking fuel, reducing indoor air pollution and reliance on unsustainable biomass.
o Innovative approaches like green hydrogen and advanced storage technologies can support agricultural mechanization and post-harvest handling.

However, the expansion of clean energy infrastructure raises important questions regarding land use, potential displacement, and habitat appropriation. Large-scale solar and wind farms may compete with agricultural land or encroach upon natural habitats, potentially threatening local biodiversity and traditional livelihoods. Hydropower projects, while renewable, can impact river ecosystems and water availability. The trade-offs between increasing renewable energy deployment and the preservation of arable land and ecological integrity must be critically assessed to ensure that nutrition-sensitive development remains environmentally sustainable.

Studies have begun to explore the intersections of clean energy, digital innovation, and rural nutrition, yet large evidence gaps remain—especially concerning their combined impacts on human nutrition and the environment. Leading theories suggest that leveraging renewable energy and advanced technology offers pathways for holistic transformation in rural areas; however, there is a pressing need for comprehensive, interdisciplinary investigations to solidify these claims and balance competing demands on land and resources.

This Research Topic aims to examine the integration of diverse clean energy sources and digital innovation into sustainable rural food systems, illuminating their pathways for enhancing human nutrition in developing economies while critically considering environmental trade-offs. Central questions include how these integrations can reduce malnutrition, support food and nutrition security, and minimize negative impacts on land use and local habitats. Key hypotheses centre on the potential for renewable energy and digital solutions to deliver significant nutritional and environmental co-benefits.

To gather further insights, this Research Topic will focus on pathways toward enhanced human nutrition in developing economies. We welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

o Theoretical and conceptual frameworks linking multiple forms of clean energy, digital tools, and sustainable nutrition.
o Impacts of renewable energy solutions (solar, wind, hydro, biogas, green hydrogen, etc.) on sustainable diets, food security, and human nutrition—including linked analyses of land use tradeoffs and habitat impacts.
o The role of technology—such as mobile platforms, AI, and remote sensing—in disseminating nutrition-sensitive practices and optimizing resource use.
o Case studies and policy analyses showcasing successful, equitable integrations of clean energy and technology in rural food systems, with attention to avoiding or mitigating environmental harm.
o Empowerment and equality issues, focusing on disparities in access to clean energy and digital tools among vulnerable groups, and strategies for inclusive and just rural energy transitions.
o Future directions highlighting technological, social, and environmental challenges to the adoption of sustainable practices, especially as they relate to land use planning, biodiversity, and preservation of local ecosystems.

Keywords: Sustainable Rural Food Systems, Clean Energy Integration, Digital Innovation in Nutrition, Developing Economies, Malnutrition and Food Security

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.