Identification of climate mitigation and adaptation strategies for protection of preharvest food safety: A scoping review

Climate change influences the growth, persistence, and transport of biological and chemical contaminants of preharvest foods. This can drive increases in food- and waterborne illnesses, further burdening public health and agri-food systems. Therefore, effective mitigation and adaptation strategies play a critical role in safeguarding preharvest food safety and population health. The objective of this scoping review was to identify and describe currently implemented or proposed mitigation and adaptation strategies to protect preharvest food safety globally. An a priori protocol was developed and registered on Open Science Framework. The search strategy was applied to two databases: Web of Science and CAB Abstracts, and grey literature. Two independent reviewers conducted a two-phase screening process on retrieved literature to determine eligibility of articles that identified comprehensive current or proposed mitigation and adaptation strategies to protect preharvest food safety from climate-sensitive biological and chemical contamination. A total of 28 articles met eligibility criteria. Among these articles, five themes for mitigation and adaptation strategies to safeguard the preharvest food safety of grains, seafood, produce, livestock, and irrigation water were identified: 1) predictive modelling, 2) on-farm interventions, 3) monitoring and surveillance systems, 4) education and awareness building, and 5) other methods. Identification of these strategies will inform future strategy development and stakeholder engagement.