Worldwide, water scarcity, profit-cost pressure and restructuring of agricultural markets have led to on-farm diversification. The Goulburn Valley’s (GV) pome and stone fruit farms, in the Murray-Darling Basin of Australia, present potential lessons for the conditions under which alternative crops can sustain livelihoods. This research uses a mixed methods approach to assess the viability of vegetable production in the GV region. Quantitative and qualitative data collected from primary and secondary sources were analysed within the conceptual framework of ‘opportunity and ability to diversify’. The favourable biophysical factors of GV region and a positive return on investment from vegetable production that is comparable with fruit production, provide an opportunity for crop diversification to the fruit farmers of the region. Socio-economic factors, including loss of market for fruit crops, family and peer group support and flexibility in vegetable production, supported crop diversification. Factors that prevented fruit growers from diversification include, risk to existing business, capital locked in fruit related infrastructure and lack of vegetable marketing knowledge, among other reasons. The approach highlights the underlying factors for crop diversification that can be applied to any region by agricultural extension agencies to evaluate the potential for diversification.

Postharvest losses in Pacific Island Countries remain a significant challenge, affecting food security and farmers’ livelihoods. Limited research exists on horticultural handling practices in the region, particularly on taro corm bruising. This study characterised defects in taro corms caused by poor physical handling using a simulated laboratory drop test with two drop heights (1 m and 2 m), two drop frequencies (1 and 4 drops), and three storage durations (3, 5, and 7 days). It examined the combined effects of the drop test on external bruising, internal bruise depth, bruise severity scores, and visible decay incidence. Data were collected using the laboratory drop test, samples of farmer-handled taro, and farmer interviews. The results showed that the increased drop height and repeated impacts significantly increased severity, depth, and length over time. Corms subjected to the higher drop height (2 m) exhibited greater tissue breakdown; by day 7, corms dropped from 2 m had approximately 47% greater bruise depth than those dropped from 1 m. Statistical analysis confirmed that the drop height, the storage duration, and the drop frequency were key determinants of postharvest deterioration (p < 0.05). Mechanical stress also weakened corm integrity, increasing susceptibility to infection and decay. These findings underscore the need for improved postharvest handling practices, such as minimising free-fall distances, using padded storage and adopting better sorting methods to reduce mechanical injury. Enhancing these practices could substantially reduce food loss, extend taro shelf life and improve marketability, thereby supporting more resilient and sustainable food systems and contributing to food security and economic stability for taro farmers in the Pacific.

Vegetable greenhouses in China have expanded rapidly since the 1970s, playing a crucial role in increased production with less land. However, the long-term, high-intensity use of fertilizers has made greenhouse production a significant contributor to Nr (reactive nitrogen) losses in agricultural systems. This study aims to map the spatio temporal dynamics of vegetable greenhouses in the Bohai Rim region (1985–2020), identify their major driving factors, and analyse the spatio temporal variation and hotspot areas of Nr losses in greenhouse systems. Landsat imagery on the Google Earth Engine platform was used to characterise the spatio-temporal evolution of greenhouses. Life cycle assessment (LCA) was then used to investigate patterns of reactive nitrogen (Nr) losses in these greenhouse systems. The results indicate a roughly 25 fold increase in greenhouse area in the Bohai Rim from 1985 to 2020, reaching about 17,000 ha yr−1. Shandong Province experienced the fastest expansion (10,600 ha yr−1), followed by Liaoning Province (7,000 ha yr−1); greenhouses are principally concentrated in central Liaoning, central Shandong and the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei triangle, with more decentralised patterns elsewhere. Nr losses in the Bohai Rim region increased by 3.1×107 kg N from 2000 to 2020, with an average growth rate of 1.6×106 kg N yr−1. Along the supply chain, the infrastructure construction stage and the vegetable production stage accounted for total Nr losses of 44.6% and 40.9% respectively. Nitrate nitrogen leaching accounted for 48.4%, emerging as the most significant pathway of Nr losses. The hotspots of Nr losses are mainly concentrated in eastern Liaoning, central Hebei and southern Shandong provinces. These results provide essential information for agricultural monitoring and science based decision making to support the planning and sustainable management of vegetable greenhouses.