Nature Food

Nature Food. It is a monthly peer-reviewed scientific journal published by Springer Nature, focusing on all aspects of food research, production, distribution, and consumption. The journal aims to bridge the gap between food science, agriculture, nutrition, and broader societal and environmental systems. Its scope encompasses original research, reviews, and commentary on topics ranging from sustainable agriculture and food security to food policy and human health.

Overview

Launched in 2020, the journal serves as a dedicated platform within the prestigious Nature Research portfolio for interdisciplinary research on food systems. It operates under the same editorial standards as its sister journals like Nature and Nature Sustainability, emphasizing rigorous peer review and high-impact findings. The editor-in-chief is Anne Mullen, a dietitian and former director at the British Nutrition Foundation. Published from the United Kingdom, it adopts a hybrid open access model, allowing authors to choose between traditional subscription or open access publication. The journal's mission is to provide evidence that can inform policy makers, industry leaders such as those at Nestlé or Unilever, and researchers at institutions like the University of California, Davis and Wageningen University & Research.

History and scope

The journal was established in response to the growing global challenges identified by organizations like the Food and Agriculture Organization and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which highlight the need for transformative food system research. Its inaugural issue was released in January 2020, featuring research on topics including dietary guidelines and crop yields. The scope is intentionally broad, covering the entire food value chain from production to consumption and waste. This includes studies on precision agriculture, aquaculture, food microbiology, food safety regulations akin to those of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, food economics, and the environmental impacts of diets. It also publishes work on social sciences aspects, such as food justice and consumer behavior, often intersecting with the work of agencies like the World Health Organization.

Content and features

Each issue typically contains primary research articles, review articles, perspectives, and commentaries from leading scientists and practitioners. Research articles often present findings from field trials, laboratory analyses, computational modeling, and large-scale epidemiological studies. Notable features include "News & Views" pieces that contextualize research, and editorials that address pressing issues like the COVID-19 pandemic's effect on supply chains or the European Union's Farm to Fork Strategy. The journal frequently publishes special collections or focus issues on themes such as urban agriculture, alternative proteins, food loss and waste, and nutritional epidemiology, featuring contributions from experts at institutions like the International Food Policy Research Institute and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Abstracting and indexing

The journal is abstracted and indexed in major scientific databases, ensuring wide dissemination of its content. Key services that cover it include the Science Citation Index Expanded, part of Clarivate's Web of Science, and Scopus from Elsevier. It is also indexed in PubMed Central and the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), reflecting its inclusion in biomedical and open access repositories. These indexing services assign it metrics such as the Impact Factor, which was 13.6 for the 2022 citation year, placing it among top journals in fields like Environmental Sciences and Agriculture.

Impact and reception

Since its launch, the journal has quickly gained recognition as a leading venue for high-quality food systems research. Its published studies have been cited in influential reports by the United Nations and the World Bank, and have informed policy debates in entities like the European Parliament. The research it features often receives attention in mainstream media outlets such as The Guardian and BBC News, amplifying its societal impact. The editorial board, which includes renowned figures like Marion Nestle and Walter Willett, upholds rigorous standards that have contributed to its strong reputation within academic circles at universities like Cornell University and Stanford University. Its impact factor attests to its significant influence in shaping discourse and research directions in global food sustainability and security.

Category:Academic journals published in the United Kingdom Category:English-language journals Category:Monthly journals Category:Springer Nature academic journals Category:Food science journals Category:Agriculture journals