Dear colleagues,

The environmental impacts of mainstream agri-food systems are relatively well understood and include climate change and contamination, pollution, and degradation of natural resources, which generate effects on the biophysical system, via multiple and interconnected pathways. Those rooted interactions are associated with impacts on human health, i.e., the food–health–environment nexus, in the words of the International Panel of Experts on Sustainable Food Systems (IPES Food). Health risks are highly diverse and mutually reinforcing, including the exposure of farmers and farm workers to contaminants and pollutants in the workplace and of the public in the surrounding environment, as well as the consumption of unsafe and unhealthy food by whole populations. Poor living conditions and poverty can intensify the severity and prevalence of negative health impacts, by increasing people’s vulnerability, which makes the food­–health–environment nexus an area of growing attention and concern. Researchers are called to contribute to the existing knowledge about the food–health–environment nexus, to support the development of solutions to address the environmental and health impacts of agri-food systems simultaneously, with practical implications for strategic decision making by policy makers and in the agribusiness. This adds to the constant need of work to address the global food security challenge in the long term, which involves producing more food with fewer resources to feed a fast-growing population. The purpose of this Special Issue is to offer insights into how different practices, systems, technologies, and approaches to food production and consumption can create positive synergies in the food–health–environment nexus, by boosting the positive externalities on the environment and human health, while mitigating the negative ones. Qualitative and quantitative studies addressing the environmental and health aspects of food production and/or consumption will be considered for publication, including field experiments, case studies, theoretical, and literature review studies. Systems thinking and holistic approaches combining the environmental, economic, and social dimension of sustainability are encouraged, e.g., providing evidence from life cycle sustainability assessment or system dynamics models, among others.

Dr. Oriana Gava
Dr. Giovanna Sacchi
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• systems thinking
• agricultural sustainability
• sustainable consumption
• agricultural policy
• food policy
• environmental impacts
• health impacts
• food security
• nutrition security
• food safety
• sustainability transitions
• alternative food systems
• consumer studies