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Aquaculture is growing rapidly as a food-producing sector and in recent years fishmeal prices have climbed more than two-fold on a global scale. This review of previous studies was performed to contribute to the extant literature on the aquaculture sector to aid cost reduction of aquafeeds by identifying substitute proteins that can replace fishmeal. The review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) using the SCOPUS and WOS (Web of Science), DOAJ (Directory of Open Access Journals), Academia, and PubMed Central databases. A total of 59 articles were included in the synthesis after screening for duplicates and articles that did not conform to the criteria. Results have shown that the 100% replacement of fishmeal with blood meal (BM) did not affect the growth of fish, nor did the 75% to 100% combination of poultry-by-product (PBM), feather meal (FEM), and BM. Moreover, a 10% replacement of fishmeal using seaweed (Gracilaria arcuata) had no adverse effect on the feed efficiency and growth performance of tilapia. Similarly, a 50% replacement of fishmeal using black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens), and a 25% replacement using soybean (Glycine max) also showed better results for fish growth. Our review shows that alternative protein can replace fishmeal in the aquaculture sector and reduce the cost of aquafeeds since alternative proteins are much cheaper than the usual fishmeal. Adoption of these alternative protein sources hinges on financial support, start-up incentives for companies, and ongoing studies on waste-to-feed production, which the government can also support.

Low fruit and vegetable intake is a significant nutritional issue in low- and middle-income countries, where resolving all forms of malnutrition remains a pressing challenge. Nutritional status is influenced by many dietary factors, and enhancing fruit and vegetable consumption offers significant health benefits and contributes to overall dietary quality. The study aimed to examine the policy landscape for fruits and vegetables across the food system in four low-middle income countries (Benin, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, the Philippines) and identify opportunities to strengthen food systems policies to enhance fruit and vegetable consumption as part of a comprehensive strategy to improve nutrition outcomes. A comparative qualitative analysis of policy documents (n = 14 [Benin], 18 [Sri Lanka], 30 [Tanzania], 55 [the Philippines] relevant to fruits and vegetables at the national and subnational levels, framed by a food systems framework, was conducted. A modified SWOT analysis was then conducted to formulate strategic policy recommendations to improve consideration of fruits and vegetables in policies tackling food system aspects. The analysis revealed specific opportunities for strengthening policy prioritization of fruits and vegetables across the food system such as multisectoral collaboration, policy integration between the national and subnational level, sustainability and resilience, and inclusion and equity. By addressing factors influencing fruit and vegetable intake within a dynamic food system, these countries and others facing challenges to the consumption of fruits and vegetables can effectively promote diet quality, improve food security, and address all forms of malnutrition through better policy design and particularly implementation.

Globally, gender inequalities and inequities persist in the food system, with women lacking access to productive resources and decision-making roles. Policy can help address these issues, but the extent of gender consideration in policy in low- and middle-income countries remains unclear. The study aimed to document how governments are addressing gender issues in food systems for healthy diets and suggest ways to enhance gender responsiveness of policy with specific reference to fruit and vegetables. We used the Food Systems Framework and a gender and food systems analytical framework to analyze food systems policy documents relating to fruits and vegetables in Benin, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Tanzania. Data were synthesized in a matrix to identify strengths and gaps in current policies to support vegetable production, distribution and consumption as part of healthy diets. Although there was some diversity in approaches to gender in the policies in study countries, there were common findings across countries including the underrepresentation of women in policy-making processes, and limited integration of gender issues in food system policy that limits their influence on healthy diets. Very few policy documents explicitly draw on sex-disaggregated data despite its role in evidence-based policymaking. Gender issues are noted in the food system policies of the study countries but not effectively acted upon: Women still face systemic discrimination in food systems. This gap highlights a key area for enhancing policy design and execution. Sex-disaggregated data are critical for evidence-based food system policymaking; however, very few of the policy documents examined in the study countries.

This study conducted an exploratory content analysis of TV food advertisements on the top three most popular channels for Filipino children aged two to 17 during school and non-school days. Data were collected by manually recording of aired advertisements from 16 non-school days (July to September 2020) and 16 school days (January to April 2021). Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were used to assess children's rates of exposure to food advertisements (mean ± SD of advertisements aired per channel per hour), the healthiness of promoted foods (as permitted (healthier) or not permitted (unhealthy) according to nutrient profiling models from the World Health Organization), and persuasive techniques used in food advertisements, including promotional characters and premium offers. The results show that the rates of exposure to food advertisements were higher during school days (14.6 ± 14.8) than on non-school days (11.9 ± 12.0) (  < 0.01). Both periods yield a similarly higher proportion of non-permitted food advertisements (e.g. 9.3 ± 9.7 ads/channel/hour for school days and 8.3 ± 8.5 ads/channel/hour for non-school days) than permitted ones. More non-permitted food advertisements during children's peak viewing times were observed than non-peak viewing times (e.g. 11.8 ± 10. vs. 8.3 ± 9.2 ads/channel/hour for school days). Non-permitted food advertisements employed persuasive techniques more frequently, accounting for 64-91% of all food ads during peak viewing times. Children are exposed to a large volume of television advertisements for foods that should not be permitted to be marketed to children based on authoritative nutrient criteria.

This study aims to understand the crises experienced by family-owned accommodation businesses in small island contexts and how resilience is built alongside the development of their dynamic capabilities (sensing, seizing, and transforming) as they navigate through crises. The study uses a qualitative method and focuses on the experiences of tourism businesses operating in the islands of Boracay, Negros, and Siargao, which are among the top island destinations in the Philippines. Semi-structured interviews with 18 participants were conducted through 1-hour online video calls, phone calls, and written 2 interviews. Crises that affect tourism businesses are mostly due to external factors. Small islands are at high risk of natural hazards, but businesses do not consider typhoons and earthquakes as crises per se since they frequently experience these hazards. Family businesses have distinct strategies, such as knowledge transfer, maintenance of stable financial resources, infrastructure development, employee training, better marketing strategies, and a focus on sustainability to enhance their dynamic capabilities and build their resilience, thus making them more adaptive to future crises. However, government support for the local tourism industry is still needed to ensure a sustainable tourism industry. Dynamic capabilities and resilience are often linked with each other yet there is limited knowledge on how resilience is built specifically in the context of family-owned businesses in small island context. This study addresses this gap in the literature by using dynamic capabilities as a framework to understand resilience development. Resilience and dynamic capabilities are then adaptive strategies in crisis management.

Consumption of unhealthy foods possesses harmful effects on health, thereby increasing the disease burden. If low-income people, especially those living in urban areas, do not make efforts to reduce their consumption on unhealthy foods, the health‒economic costs borne by them will rise. To date, there is a growing number of Malaysian studies that examine factors affecting consumption expenditure on unhealthy foods, but none has paid attention to the urban poor. The objective of this study is to narrow this research gap. Cross-sectional data from the South East Asia Obesogenic Food Environment (SEAOFE) study was used. A seemingly unrelated regressions (SUR) model was utilised to estimate the effects of sociodemographic and health factors on expenditure of oil and fats, processed foods, sugar-sweetened beverages and alcoholic drinks. Findings showed that income and household size were positively associated with expenditure on unhealthy foods. Individuals who were between 61 and 70 years old had higher expenditure on unhealthy foods than their younger counterparts. The Chinese spent less on certain unhealthy foods compared to the Malays. Being employed, having tertiary-level education, being married and living with chronic diseases increased spending on unhealthy foods. These findings suggest that the Malaysian government should consider increasing the tax on sugar-sweetened beverages and using health campaigns to educate the urban poor about the risks of unhealthy foods.

Introduction The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic has profoundly impacted the food environment, affecting consumer’s behavior, retailer strategy, and subsequently dietary and nutritional outcomes. While existing research has explored these effects globally, few studies have focused on Southeast Asia, a region with unique food systems and cultural contexts. Methods As part of the Southeast Asia Obesogenic Food Environment (SEAOFE) study, data were collected through a multicountry cross‐sectional research, in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines. Data were collected through news searches and interviews with 121 food retailers (73 traditional and 48 modern) between 2021 and 2022 when Delta and Omicron waves occurred. Transcripts were English‐translated and analyzed following thematic analysis, integrating both inductive‐deductive approaches guided by COVID‐19 effects on food environment framework. Results Despite varying national restrictions, a decrease in foot traffic in offline retail and a rise in online platforms were observed, revealing a paradox of connectivity amid restrictions. Retailers experienced consumers leaning towards healthier food options during specific pandemic periods, potentially driven by health concerns, with essentialism and prudent purchasing behavior increasing due to declining purchasing power. Price fluctuations and supply disruptions had domino effects on food availability and accessibility, prompting retailers to adopt strategic stocking to navigate these challenges. Conclusions By integrating public health and nutrition perspectives, this study contributes to broader efforts to build sustainable food systems that can withstand future crises. It underscores the importance of long‐term policies that ensure the availability and accessibility of healthy food, emphasizing the need for sustained efforts during crises, even beyond pandemics. Future health and nutrition policy should incorporate these insights into broader health and nutrition policies to build resilient and sustainable food systems.

Shrimp aquaculture is under pressure to increase its production to meet the growing demand for food from a growing population. In the Philippines, aquaculture has experienced the shift from milkfish to prawn, with its attractive marketable price. This intensification has led to negative and positive impacts, which have raised a range of environmental and socioeconomic problems. This paper reviews the environmental and socioeconomic challenges that the shrimp aquaculture industry faces using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) method. We examine the gaps and the changes that are required to revitalize the industry. We examine and assess the impacts of shrimp culture on the environment, e.g., shrimp farm management, marine pollution, disease outbreaks, and the social, economic, and climate change impacts. The presence of viral diseases, such as White Spot Syndrome Virus (WSSV), Monodon Baculovirus (MBV), Infectious Hypodermal and Hematopoietic Necrosis Virus (IHHNV), Hepatopancreatic Parvovirus (HPV), and Yellow Head Virus (YHV), have caused approximate losses in the industry of 40,080 mt in 1997, and 51,000 mt in 2014. Recommended strategies and policy changes are considered for the improvement of shrimp aquaculture, including disease management, the adoption of good aquaculture practices, proper environmental monitoring, sustainable practices at the farm level, and priorities for cooperation among the concerned government agencies and local governments, as well as the involvement of state universities and colleges, for better management practices.

Abstract Low fruit and vegetable consumption is a major dietary risk factor globally, yet many countries, including the Philippines, under-prioritize this sector compared to staple crops. This study analyses the policy context for fruits and vegetables in the Philippines, focusing on the implementation of two key programs of the Department of Agriculture—the High Value Crops Development Program (HVCDP) and the National Organic Agriculture Program (NOAP)—to identify enabling factors, challenges, and transferable lessons for strengthening fruit and vegetable policy. Guided by policy learning and multiple streams theory, 44 key informant interviews were conducted with stakeholders across government, civil society, academia, and the private sector. The findings reveal that the HVCDP and NOAP offer complementary and mutually reinforcing strengths in supporting the fruit and vegetable sector. Both programs demonstrate effectiveness through multi-level and vertically integrated governance. HVCDP contributes through its emphasis on infrastructure investment and crop-specific planning, while NOAP strengthens the system through an end-to-end value chain approach, including capacity building, peer-to-peer learning, and accessible certification mechanisms tailored to smallholder organic producers. Despite these strengths, both programs face challenges, including policy fragmentation, inconsistent funding, research-farmer disconnects, limited market development, and insufficient technical support. We recommend five areas for enhancement: strengthening policy coordination through integrated frameworks, improving funding allocation, enhancing research-farmer linkages, developing market systems, and strengthening extension services. These insights contribute to knowledge on effective fruit and vegetable policies within food systems frameworks, offering guidance for similar contexts seeking to improve nutrition outcomes through greater policy prioritization of fruits and vegetables.

This research empirically tested the effect of perceived value of ecosystem services on tourists’ intentions to revisit the Aogu coastal wetland in Taiwan. Data were collected using a structured survey and structural equation modeling was then done to test the research hypotheses. Based on the data collected from 230 tourists in the Aogu coastal wetland, the perceived value of ecosystem services of wetland has a positive effect on tourists’ environmental concerns and friendly environmental behavior. Results also indicate that tourists’ environmental concern has a positive effect on friendly environmental behavior and tourists’ friendly environmental behavior has a positive effect on revisit intention to the Aogu coastal wetland. However, the effects of perceived value of ecosystem services and tourists’ environmental concerns on revisit intention were not found to be significant in this study. These results have implications for tourism management of coastal wetlands and the increase in revisit intentions of tourists.