Food waste posing a serious threat to sustainability in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – A systematic review

Worldwide, food waste is one of the prime issues threatening food security and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is not an exception. With 427 kg of food wasted per capita per year, the country ranks among the top food wasters. Ironically, the Kingdom has limited arable lands and scarce water resources to support mass-scale agriculture and to feed its increasing population, KSA relies heavily on imports and subsidized food to meet needs. Yet, food is wasted at restaurants, caterers, cafeterias and, especially, by households such that food waste is the single-largest component of the landfills. The review article is based on the grey and scientific literature published in the English and Arabic languages on the issue of food waste in Saudi Arabia. Information sources like Web of knowledge, online resources and the databases available through the King Saud University, Saudi Arabia were accessed and used to collect information on food waste, its social, cultural, economic and environmental impacts and related topics. Since food items and groceries are abundantly available to all living in KSA and they are highly subsidized, the residents take food for granted. According to a recent survey, about 78% of food purchased in KSA is discarded each week in order to make room for new groceries. The factors responsible for food waste include: lack of awareness; and insufficient and inappropriate planning when shopping. Food waste in restaurants, celebrations, social events and occasions are enormous. Waste is common in festivals and special events where the customs is to provide more food than required. There is a need to change society’s food culture, particularly among the women and the youth, as they are largest segment of the society and the prime food wasters. The analysis of the factors responsible for food waste, identified in this article suggests a “Stop Wasting Food” campaign should be launched. It is also recommended to determine and activate the role of extension education to reduce food waste in the KSA through vibrant capacity building programs for youth and women, in particular, and society in general.     

Wasted Food: U.S. Consumers' Reported Awareness,Attitudes, and Behaviors

The U.S. wastes 31 to 40% of its post-harvest food supply, with a substantial portion of this waste occurring at the consumer level. Globally, interventions to address wasted food have proliferated, but efforts are in their infancy in the U.S. To inform these efforts and provide baseline data to track change, we performed a survey of U.S. consumer awareness, attitudes and behaviors related to wasted food. The survey was administered online to members of a nationally representative panel (N=1010), and post-survey weights were applied. The survey found widespread (self-reported) awareness of wasted food as an issue, efforts to reduce it, and knowledge about how to do so, plus moderately frequent performance of waste-reducing behaviors. Three-quarters of respondents said they discard less food than the average American. The leading motivations for waste reduction were saving money and setting an example for children, with environmental concerns ranked last. The most common reasons given for discarding food were concern about foodborne illness and a desire to eat only the freshest food. In some cases there were modest differences based on age, parental status, and income, but no differences were found by race, education, rural/urban residence or other demographic factors. Respondents recommended ways retailers and restaurants could help reduce waste. This is the first nationally representative consumer survey focused on wasted food in the U.S. It provides insight into U.S. consumers’ perceptions related to wasted food, and comparisons to existing literature. The findings suggest approaches including recognizing that many consumers perceive themselves as being already-knowledgeable and engaged, framing messages to focus on budgets, and modifying existing messages about food freshness and aesthetics. This research also suggests opportunities to shift retail and restaurant practice, and identifies critical research gaps.     

The impacts of Japanese food losses and food waste on global natural resources and greenhouse gas emissions

Japan depends heavily on imports for its food supply. Since 2000, the food self‐sufficiency ratio has remained approximately 40% on a caloric basis. Japanese food wastage (i.e., food losses and food waste) is estimated to have been 6.42 million tonnes (50 kg per capita of wastage) in 2012. These values indicate that food wastage leads to wasted natural resources and excessive greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions both in Japan and in countries that export to Japan. This study estimates Japanese food wastage by food item to evaluate impacts on land and water resources and global GHG emissions during the processing, distribution, and consumption phases of the food supply chain while also considering the feed crops needed for livestock production. Despite uncertainties due to data limitations, in 2012, 1.23 million hectares of harvested land were used to produce food that was eventually wasted, and 413 million m³ of water resources were wasted due to Japanese food wastage in agricultural production. Furthermore, unnecessary GHG emissions were 3.51 million tonnes of CO₂ eq. in agricultural production and 0.49 million tonnes of CO₂ eq. in international transportation. The outcomes of the present study can be used to develop countermeasures to food wastage in industrializing Asian countries where food imports are projected to increase and food wastage issues in the consumption stage are expected to become as serious as they currently are in Japan.     

The movements of the Kittiwake

Capsule During winter songbirds were far more abundant in game cover crops than conventional agricultural habitats.

Aims To quantify game crop use during winter by farmland songbirds when compared with conventional farmland at a regional scale.

Methods Songbirds were counted on 20 farms in eastern Scotland. The number of songbirds using game crops was compared with a sample of nearby conventional crops – with particular emphasis on set-aside and cereal stubbles.

Results Game crops supported up to 100 times as many birds per hectare, of significantly more species, than the other two habitat categories. Many of these species were those currently causing concern because of their declining populations.

Conclusion Game crops could provide opportunities for increasing food resources to songbirds whose populations may be limited by food availability and possibly arrest population declines. At present, the only measures likely to facilitate this are the government's various agri-environment schemes.     

城市餐饮业食物浪费碳足迹——以北京市为例

食物浪费及其造成的环境影响已成为全球广泛关注的热点。无论从生命周期还是碳足迹的视角来看,食物浪费意味着生产、运输、加工与储存这些被浪费掉的食物过程中所投入的各种资源的浪费以及不必要的温室气体排放。以北京市餐饮食物浪费问题为切入点,在通过问卷调查和称重方法对餐饮食物浪费状况进行调查的基础上,将整个食物生命周期各供应链环节相应的温室气体排放纳入考量,估算了北京市餐饮食物浪费的碳排放量。研究结果表明:北京市餐饮食物浪费总量为39.86×10~4t/a。其中,蔬菜类浪费量最高,约占浪费总量的43.16%,其次为肉类和主食类,分别占食物浪费总量的20.59%和16.66%。北京市餐饮食物浪费所产生的总碳足迹为192.51×10~4—208.52×10~4t CO_2eq。其中,农业生产阶段的碳排放量最大为99.34×10~4t CO2eq,占食物浪费总碳足迹的47.64%。其次是消费阶段的碳足迹77.96×10~4t CO_2eq,占食物浪费总碳足迹的37.39%,再次是餐厨垃圾处理阶段的碳足迹28.54×104tCO2eq,占食物浪费总碳足迹的13.68%。这些不同供应链环节的碳排放比例,为透视食物浪费所带来的环境影响提供了新的认知,也为遏制食物浪费提供了科学的理论依据。     

How origin,packaging and seasonality determine the environmental impact of apples,magnified by food waste and losses

Purpose

Using apple consumption in Belgium as a case study, this study examines the environmental impacts associated with Belgian (BE) and New Zealand (NZ) apples, how impacts evolve throughout the year and how packaging affects this impact. Additionally, impacts associated with food losses and food waste along the chain are assessed. The study aims to delineate the most important factors in determining environmental impacts associated with apple.

Methods

The environmental impacts are calculated using the ILCD (International Reference Life Cycle Data System) approach. The functional unit is 1 kg of apples purchased by a consumer in the supermarket. Primary data was collected through players along the chain. Various scenarios are analysed for both the BE and NZ apples, based on the moment of purchase and packaging method. Food loss and waste impacts are assessed by splitting the impacts along the chain into three categories: apples lost along the supply chain, apples purchased and eaten by the consumer and apples purchased and wasted by the consumer.

Results and discussion

For all impact categories assessed, NZ apples come at a higher environmental cost than BE ones due to overseas transport. For both BE and NZ apples, minimum impacts are found for bulk apples at the beginning of the season, whereas maximum values are found for pre-packed apples at the end of the season. For BE apples, the choice of packaging method highly affects the impact, while it is negligible relative to shipping impacts for NZ apples. Altering secondary packaging materials of BE apples allows for impact reductions up to 50%. In the case of climate change, food waste and losses contribute up to 25% or 15% for BE or NZ apples, respectively, as all lost food travels in vain through the food chain and needs to be disposed of.

Conclusions

The study shows the importance of origin and packaging, whereas the moment of purchase hardly affects the environmental impact of apples. From a supply chain perspective, there is room for improvement as altering the use of secondary packaging greatly reduces impacts along the chain. The study further highlights how impacts are magnified by food waste and losses.

     

Nitrogen supply and crop yield: The global scene

Agricultural yields are limited by acute deficiencies of at least one major nutrient in those parts of the world where most people live. Crop responses to fertilizer are invariably considerable and average yields per ha of cereals (the main component of man's food) in the major countries are nearly proportional to the amounts of N+P₂O₅+K₂O applied as fertilizer. Often responses to nitrogen fertilizer are restricted by shortage of some other nutrient, but in West Europe where the soils are well endowed with phosphorus, potassium and sulphur average yields of wheat per country are almost directly proportional to the level of N-fertilizer applied. Much N-fertilizer is wasted because of difficulties in forecasting levels and methods of application for different conditions. Predictions based on simple statistical interpretation of the results of field trials have proved to be unsatisfactory. The new mechanistic modelling approaches that take far greater account of existing principles about key processes have been more successful. Nitrogen recycling is small in existing agriculture and there is much scope for improvement. Biological fixation provides much nitrogen for world agriculture. Under the right conditions legumes can fix at least 300 kg N ha^?1 yr^?1, which is more than sufficient for maximum growth. A major drawback of legumes, however, is that grain yields are inherently much lower than those of cereals. Sufficient N-fertilizer to grow all the food required for mankind can be synthesised from only 2% of the present world consumption of fossil fuel. Despite massive increases in oil prices, the cost of nitrogen fertilizer relative to that of food has remained virtually unchanged. It is still very profitable to apply nitrogen fertilizer in most parts of the world. Serious problems in the future are likely to result from essential resources (energy and minerals) being very unevenly distributed in relation to where they are needed to grow food.     

Cultivation of oyster mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus on date-palm leaves mixed with other agro-wastes in Saudi Arabia

Promoting the use of agricultural waste is one of the newly prepared water and environment friendly agriculture strategies in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). The objective of this research was to study the efficiency of cultivating oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) on date palm wastes mixed with other agricultural wastes available in KSA. Four agricultural wastes were mixed with date palm leaves at different ratios, with two supplements and three spawn rates were used. Wheat straw mixed with date palm at ratio of 25 (date palm): 75 (agro-waste) showed the best results in most of the parameters measured. Corn meal was superior over wheat bran as a supplement in all treatments. Parameter values increased with the increase of the spawn rate of P. ostreatus. Treatments with date palm leave wastes contained higher carbohydrates and fibers. No significant differences were found among the fruiting bodies produced on the different agro-wastes studied for the different proximates analyzed. Analyses of metal concentration showed that potassium was the highest in all the treatments tested followed by Na, Mg, Ca, and Zn. This is the first study that reported the success of growing oyster mushroom on date palm leaf wastes mixed with other agro-wastes obtainable in KSA.     

Antimicrobial and antifouling polymeric coating mitigates persistence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm

Abstract

Food wasted due to food spoilage remains a global challenge to the environmental sustainability and security of food supply. In food manufacturing, post-processing contamination of food can occur due to persistent bacterial biofilms, which can be resistant to conventional cleaning and sanitization. The objective was to characterize the efficacy of a polymeric coating in reducing Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm establishment and facilitating its removal. Viable cell density of a 48?h biofilm was reduced by 2.10 log cfu cm^?2 on the coated surface, compared to native polypropylene. Confocal laser scanning and electron microscopy indicated reductions in mature biofilm viability and thickness on the coated material. The antifouling coating improved cleanability, with ～2.5 log cfu cm^?2 of viable cells remaining after 105?min cleaning by water at 65?°C, compared to 4.5 log cfu cm^?2 remaining on native polypropylene. Such coatings may reduce the persistence of biofilms in food processing environments, in support of reducing food spoilage and waste     

Life cycle environmental and economic impact of a food waste recycling-farming system: a case study of organic vegetable farming in Japan

Purpose

Bio-based recycling systems and agricultural production using recycled materials are often evaluated separately. This study performs an environmental and socio-economic life cycle assessment (LCA) of a food waste treatment and spinach farming system in Japan. The environmental and economic tradeoffs of introducing a recycling system and the net environmental benefit of the substitution of market fertilizer considering operation changes are also examined.

Methods

Three scenarios were developed and compared. In the conventional (CV) scenario, food waste is collected, incinerated, and disposed of in landfill, and the farmer uses market organic fertilizer. The on-site composting (OC) scenario processes food waste using an on-site garbage disposer and transports compost to a nearby spinach farmer. Food waste in the centralized composting (CC) scenario is transported to a centralized composting facility and resultant compost is sent to the farm. Primary data were obtained from field experiments and interviews. Non-greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the field and nitrogen leaching to water systems were simulated using the denitrification–decomposition (DNDC) model.

The environmental LCA targeted climate change, eutrophication, and waste landfill. An input–output analysis estimated socio-economic indicators, namely gross added value and employment inducement effect.

Results and discussion

The scenario with the lowest impact is the CC scenario. Climate change and eutrophication impacts are highest in the OC scenario and waste landfill impacts are most significant in the CV scenario. The weighted impact by LIME2 can be reduced by 47% in the CC scenario and 17% in the OC scenario due to the recycling of food waste instead of dumping in the landfill. The difference in socio-economic indicators between the scenarios was relatively small, although the CV scenario encouraged more employment. The substitution effect of composting, as well as the environmental impact reduction of replacing market organic fertilizer with compost, will result in 28.7% of the avoided impacts in GHG emissions.

Conclusions

Both composting scenarios are feasible from an environmental and socio-economic perspective when compared with conventional organic production, although there is a tradeoff between waste landfill and GHG emissions for the on-site composting system. However, the OC scenario needs to save electricity to improve its environmental competitiveness with the CV scenario. When considering the substitution effect of composting, it is recommended to take into account that agricultural operation also changes.

     

The environmental impact of packaging in food supply chains—does life cycle assessment of food provide the full picture?

Purpose

Due to the urgency and the magnitude of the environmental problems caused by food supply chains, it is important that the recommendations for packaging improvements given in life cycle assessment (LCA) studies of food rest on a balanced consideration of all relevant environmental impacts of packaging. The purpose of this article is to analyse the extent to which food LCAs include the indirect environmental impact of packaging in parallel to its direct impact. While the direct environmental impact of food packaging is the impact caused by packaging materials’ production and end-of-life, its indirect environmental impact is caused by its influence on the food product’s life cycle, e.g. by its influence on food waste and on logistical efficiency.

Methods

The article presents a review of 32 food LCAs published in peer-reviewed scientific journals over the last decade. The steps of the food product’s life cycle that contribute to the direct and indirect environmental impacts of packaging provide the overall structure of the analytical framework used for the review. Three aspects in the selected food LCAs were analysed: (1) the defined scope of the LCAs, (2) the sensitivity and/or scenario analyses and (3) the conclusions and recommendations.

Results and discussion

While in packaging LCA literature, there is a trend towards a more systematic consideration of the indirect environmental impact of packaging, it is unclear how food LCAs handle this aspect. The results of the review show that the choices regarding scope and sensitivities/scenarios made in food LCAs and their conclusions about packaging focus on the direct environmental impact of packaging. While it is clear that not all food LCAs need to analyse packaging in detail, this article identifies opportunities to increase the validity of packaging-related conclusions in food LCAs and provides specific recommendations for packaging-related food LCA methodology.

Conclusions

Overall, we conclude that the indirect environmental impact of packaging is insufficiently considered in current food LCA practice. Based on these results, this article calls for a more systematic consideration of the indirect environmental impact of packaging in future food LCAs. In addition, it identifies a need for more packaging research that can provide the empirical data that many food LCA practitioners currently lack. In particular, LCA practitioners would benefit if there were more knowledge and data available about the influence of certain packaging characteristics (e.g. shape, weight and type of material) on consumer behaviour.

     

餐厨垃圾高温好氧生物减量菌种的筛选及特性

【背景】随着餐厨垃圾产生量的逐步提高,如何实现其快速降解,成为餐厨垃圾处理亟待解决的问题。餐厨垃圾的高温好氧生物减量技术是一种可以快速降解餐厨垃圾的有效方法。【目的】筛选能够适应餐厨垃圾环境且具有高效降解餐厨垃圾中有机物能力的菌株,以提高餐厨垃圾的降解效率和减量效果。【方法】采用温度梯度耐受性实验和餐厨垃圾浸出液高油高盐耐受性实验进行菌种初筛,并利用产酶培养基复筛及餐厨垃圾生物减量实验验证。【结果】通过初筛、复筛和功能验证,最终获得4株生物减量效果优良的菌株N3-1、C7、N3-3和G6-1,其对餐厨垃圾挥发性固体(volatile solid,VS)的降解率分别为36.95%、33.23%、32.83%和31.91%,是对照组的3.02、2.71、2.68和2.61倍。经鉴定,这4株菌分别属于热嗜油地芽孢杆菌(Geobacillus thermoleovorans)、史氏芽孢杆菌(Bacillus smithii)、热解木糖地芽孢杆菌(Geobacillus caldoxylosilyticus)和立陶宛地芽孢杆菌(Geobacillus lituanicus)。【结论】筛选出的4株菌均具有较强的餐厨垃圾原料适应性和高效的生物降解能力,为开发餐厨垃圾高温好氧复合菌剂奠定了基础,并为实现餐厨垃圾减量化、无害化处理和资源化利用提供了技术支持。     

驯化复合微生物菌群处理废弃钻井泥浆活性研究

【背景】油田废弃钻井泥浆含油量高,污染物复杂,环境危害严重,现有技术无法满足日益发展的石油开采行业在废弃钻井泥浆处理方面的需求。生物法处理废弃钻井泥浆,工艺简单,成本低,但也存在局限,包括广谱性差、处理周期长、原油降解率低、泥浆性质波动冲击工艺稳定性等。【目的】构建一种高活性和高环境耐受能力的微生物菌群,分析遗传稳定性和综合性能,提高废弃钻井泥浆处理技术水平。【方法】通过定向富集、诱导驯化的方法,提高活性群落对石油烃乳化降解效率,降低共代谢底物反馈抑制和群体感应系统敏感度,分析群落结构和活性成员的种群类别,分析乳化降解石油烃的活性对应关系。【结果】从含油量超过12g/kg、芳烃-胶质沥青含量超过80%、含盐量超过8g/kg的钻井废弃泥浆中富集得到1个活性微生物菌群,主要成员包括假单胞菌属(Pseudomonas)、根瘤菌属(Rhizobium)、红细菌属(Rhodobacter)和嗜碱还原硫素杆菌(Dethiobacter alkaliphilus),比例分别达27.44%、20.73%、8.54%和7.93%。在超过22代的连续驯化过程中,假单胞菌(Pseudomonas)、类希瓦氏菌(Alishewanella)和盐单胞菌(Halomonas)数量达92.72%,菌群结构和活性趋于稳定。处理钻井废弃泥浆5 d,土壤含油率由处理前的12403 mg/kg降低到处理后的42 mg/kg,综合脱油效率99.67%,石油烃降解率68.9%。分析微生物群落作用前后石油饱和土壤中的石油含量变化,原始含油量261 g/kg,处理后含油量305 mg/kg,脱油率99.88%。【结论】菌群驯化后活性稳定,耐受高盐环境能力强,在钻井废弃泥浆、含油土壤及油泥污染物处理方面具有很强的工业应用潜力。     

Mate guarding in the Linnet Carduelis cannabina

Capsule?House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) populations in south Swedish farmland are not affected by supplemental winter feeding, irrespective of agricultural landscape type or presence of animal husbandry, although winter populations declined more in mixed farmland and when farms contained animal husbandry.

Aims?To investigate whether food limitation of House Sparrow population size during the winter varied spatially in relation to agricultural landscape intensification and farm management.

Methods?We experimentally increased the winter food supply for populations on farmsteads in replicated landscapes that differed in agricultural intensification (open plains versus mixed farming) and/or farm management (crop farming versus animal husbandry), and estimated possible differences in effects on winter population change.

Results?We found no effect of supplementary winter feeding on changes in House Sparrow population sizes over the winter, irrespective of agricultural landscape type or presence of animal husbandry at the farm. However, we found a significantly larger winter population decline in mixed farmland and when farms contained animal husbandry.

Conclusions?The results suggest that House Sparrow populations in south Swedish farmland are not primarily limited by winter food availability. Alternatively, supplemental winter feeding may augment interspecific competition or attracts predators, offsetting any positive effect on population change. However, the stronger population decline in landscapes in which more breeding resources may be available (animal husbandry farms, mixed farmland), suggests stronger intraspecific competition during the winter in line with the resource separation hypothesis.     

The importance of the oil-shale Bings of West Lothian,Scotland, to local and national biodiversity

Summary

The oil-shale bings of West Lothian, Scotland, are a group of post-industrial waste sites, unique in Britain and Western Europe. The industrial exploitation of oil-bearing rocks has created a habitat with its own distinctive flora and fauna. The floral diversity of individual sites has been documented as species lists in several studies. A comprehensive list of more than 350 plant species, with supplementary information on animal species, was compiled from an extensive literature review of these studies. From these data it was possible to determine the extent of species variation within and between bings, identify locally and nationally rare species, and thus to determine the importance of the oil-shale bing habitat at a local and national scale. The results will go some way to allay concerns about the loss of local biodiversity, generally throughout the country side, due to changes in agricultural practices and increased urbanisation. Findings from the bings and evidence from other types of derelict land suggest that species are not lost, they have moved to new habitats.     

Effect of the inclusion of food waste in pig diets on growth performance, carcass and meat quality

Food waste from fish and fruit shops was used as an alternative to the grain in grower-finisher pig diets. Two diets were formulated on an iso-nutrient basis (14 MJ digestible energy per kg, 160 g crude protein per kg on a dry-matter basis) to contain 0 g of food waste per kg in the control diet and 50 g of fish-shop waste per kg and 120 g of fruit-shop waste per kg in the experimental diet. In the study, 28 pigs per diet (seven pigs per pen) were fed ad libitum from 20 kg to 100 kg, then, they were slaughtered and the carcass characteristics determined. The inclusion of food waste in the diet had no significant effect (P>0.05) on average daily feed intake (2.12 v. 2.20 kg/day), average daily gain (0.74 v. 0.78 kg/day), or gain/feed (0.35 v. 0.35 kg per kg). In the case of the experimental diet, backfat thickness was significantly lower (18.0 v. 21.3 mm, P < 0.01). The results of the taste test indicated that the meat from food waste-fed pigs had acceptable organoleptic quality although a very light aroma to fish was observed in the bacon (P < 0.01).It was concluded that food waste from the fish and fruit shops could be included in grower-finisher pig diets without any detrimental effect on growth performance and only minor effects on carcass characteristics and meat quality.     

Relationships Between Cat Lovers and Feral Cats in Rome

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to assess the relationships between cat lovers and feral cats in Rome. One hundred and fifty-eight cats from 3 populations were observed for 1108 hours of data collection: some demographic characteristics of the colonies were investigated, together with the behavior of cat lovers (those who fed and cared for the cats). The quantity of food eaten and uneaten by the cats was recorded, and the cost to support each colony calculated. The quantity of food provided ranged from 20.47 to 264 kg/month. The mean quantity of food eaten/day by each cat in the study areas never surpassed 130.4 g. In total, the quantity of food wasted ranged from 522 g to 34.05 kg/month. The results of this study can help public administrations decide on how to allocate funds for the management of feral cats. Indeed, they provide statistics on the individual food intake/cat/day, as well as information on the type of collaboration one should expect from cat lovers. In addition, this study outlines advantages and limits of the “Roman model” where the Public Veterinary Services (PVS) and associations of cat lovers cooperate to manage feral cats.     

Navigation in Marine Protected Areas: National and International Law

Abstract

World fish resources, fishing methods, and processing operations in the seafood industry are described. The fishery situation in developing countries (LDCs) is discussed, with particular reference to artisanal and other local fisheries, and examples are cited to illustrate the structure of the industry. Technology transfer from developed countries to LDCs is discussed and recommendations are presented for future technology transfer programs. It is concluded that an integrated complex of small projects with defined, attainable objectives and immediate impact on income and food supply of the LDC populations is likely to be more successful than large‐scale programs with little immediate payoff. A case study of fisheries in two developing countries, Thailand and Peru, and extensive tabulation of statistical data on catches, value of catch, and unit value of fish species groups for selected countries, with a discussion of the significance of the data, are presented in an appendix.     

In Search of Sustainable Land Use and Food Security in the Arid Hillside Regions of Central America: Putting the Horse Before the Cart

This article is based on a 2003 case study of the Special Program for Food Security in two dry, upland regions of Honduras and Nicaragua. In particular the research sought to identify factors influencing farmers’ interest in various “best practices” being promoted as alternatives to the use of fire in cropping and ranching systems. The economic feasibility and/or affordability of several of these practices are questionable in light of most farmers’ priorities, risk concerns, or limited resources. The technical feasibility of several of the practices is unclear, at least in the marginal agroecological environments in which most of the farmers in these regions operate. The study highlights the weaknesses of agricultural development initiatives designed without a sufficient understanding of existing agricultural strategies and their purposes. It also reveals the limitations of technological approaches to problems of food insecurity and land degradation, and the need for broader, more integrated rural development strategies. The findings support critiques regarding the biases of many development professionals that may prevent them from giving sufficient attention to local knowledge and perspectives.