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There are limited data on food insecurity among college students from different marginalized backgrounds, both in Vermont and other predominantly White spaces, and what their institutions could do to improve food security and other basic needs. Thus, the aims of this study were to 1) examine food insecurity prevalence and its correlates among underrepresented college students, 2) assess their reasons for using campus food pantries and strategies for improving access to culturally appropriate foods on campus, and 3) determine their perspectives regarding how their institutions can address their basic needs. Using a mixed methods cross-sectional research design, a convenience sample of full-time students or trainees ages 18 and older enrolled at four institutions of higher education in Vermont, United States, were recruited through flyers, course announcements, newsletters, listservs, and social media posts. An online survey provided estimates of food insecurity, on-campus food pantry use, and participant perspectives on institutional strategies to address basic needs through open-ended questions. Food insecurity was assessed by the 10-item United States Department of Agriculture food security survey module. Descriptive statistics assessed frequencies and percentages along with means and standard deviations. Binary logistic regression was conducted to estimate the odds of food insecurity. Inductive coding was used to analyze qualitative data and identify emergent themes. Around 40% of all participants experienced food insecurity in the past year, with higher odds observed in students aged ≥ 30, Pell Grant recipients, first-generation students, Black students, and those who used a food pantry. The most cited reason for using a campus food pantry was ease of getting to the pantry while lack of awareness was the most reported barrier. Over 50% of participants recommended gathering feedback from students about their preferences to improve access to culturally appropriate foods. Common themes from qualitative analyses included: food access support, safe and affordable housing access, mental health and healthcare access, financial aid access, reliable and affordable transportation access, non-financial academic support, and general support services. Institutions should prioritize food assistance programs targeting college students and incorporate mental health care, housing support, and financial aid for comprehensive safety nets.

Food insecurity (FI) is an unmet health-related social need that affects child health. Our pediatric clinic partnered with a community food pantry, New York Common Pantry (NYCP), to provide emergency food onsite and facilitate referrals. We examined the impact of completing these referrals on household FI over 12 months. We conducted a prospective study in a general pediatric practice that screens for FI using the Hunger Vital Sign™ tool. Families with children ages 0-10 years who spoke English or Spanish and experienced FI were enrolled. Caregivers completed the 18-item USDA Household Food Security Survey (HFSS), which scores FI from 0 (high food security) to 18 (very low food security) at baseline, 3 and 12 months, and self-reported pantry enrollment status at follow-ups. We examined the impact of pantry enrollment on food security with an adjusted mixed-effects linear regression, using HFSS score as a continuous variable. We enrolled 125 families; 66% children identified as Hispanic and 26% non-Hispanic Black; 93% had Medicaid insurance. Median baseline HFSS score was 4.0 (2.0, 6.5), considered "low food security." At baseline, 84 (67%) caregivers accepted NYCP referral; an additional 20 accepted referral over the study period. In adjusted mixed-effects models, households enrolled with NYCP at both 3 and 12 months had significantly lower (improved) HFSS scores at both 3 months (estimate -3.40, p=0.016) and 12 months (estimate -3.11, p=0.026) compared to those not enrolled. A community-academic partnership promoted enrollment in a food pantry and improved FI. Future research is needed to identify strategies to improve referral completion among families referred to food pantries by a pediatrician.

Food insecurity and energy insecurity are critical global health issues, with implications for dietary diversity and infant feeding practices. This study evaluated the effects of an intervention for a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cook-stove and for free fuel on food security and dietary diversity among women and infants in four diverse settings. The Household Air Pollution Intervention Network (HAPIN) study is a randomized controlled trial that enrolled 800 pregnant women each in Guatemala, Peru, India, and Rwanda. Participants (N=3195) were randomly assigned to intervention or control groups, with intervention households receiving an LPG cook-stove and free fuel for 18 months. We measured household food insecurity using the Food Insecurity Experience Scale and dietary diversity for women and infants using the Minimum Dietary Diversity - Women and WHO infant and young child feeding questionnaires, respectively. We conducted an intention-to-treat analysis to evaluate the effect of the intervention on each outcome. At baseline, 27.4% of households were mildly food insecure, 15.6% were moderately or severely food insecure, and 26.8% of women achieved minimum dietary diversity. At end-line, the intervention significantly reduced moderate or severe food insecurity (RR: 0.75, 95% CI: 0.58-0.97) and improved dietary diversity among our analytic sample of 2868 women (RR: 1.16, 95% CI: 1.01-1.33) and 2836 infants aged 12 months (RR: 1.07, 95% CI: 1.002-1.15). Our findings suggest that interventions that increase energy security can be nutrition-sensitive and contribute to improved food and nutrition security. The trial was registered on clinicaltrials.gov (Identifier NCT029446282) on October 17, 2016.

Nutrition security is increasingly recognized as a critical but underexamined driver of health. Identifying barriers to nutrition security is essential for developing effective interventions. To examine associations among barriers to healthy eating, their prevalence by sociodemographics, and their associations with health conditions. In this cross-sectional study, a population-based survey was conducted between February and April 2023 among English-speaking US adults aged 18 years or older recruited and surveyed through the Qualtrics panel service, with oversampling among people with annual household incomes less than $50 000. Data were analyzed from March 18 to November 9, 2025. Nutrition security status and barriers to nutrition security, assessed through the Nutrition Security Screener. Primary outcomes were health conditions: type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, stroke, and cancer. Independent variables were nutrition security barriers. Covariates included age, gender, race, ethnicity, educational attainment, annual household income, and food security status. Multivariable regressions with health condition outcomes were stratified by nutrition security status. Of 3009 survey respondents, 3000 provided information on barriers to nutrition security and were included in analyses (1518 [50.6%] were female; 1983 [66.1%] were between ages 18 and 49 years). A mean (SD) of 7.8 (3.0) barriers were reported among participants with nutrition insecurity compared with 4.4 (3.2) among those who had nutrition security. Most barriers were only modestly intercorrelated (mean [SD] r = 0.45 [0.13]), with the highest correlation (r = 0.86) between insufficient time to shop and to cook. Barriers clustered into 2 factors that explained 61.4% of the variance. Black adults had higher odds of transportation barriers (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.56 [95% CI, 1.17-2.08]) than White adults, whereas Hispanic/Latinx adults had higher odds of nutrition assistance barriers (AOR, 1.65 [95% CI, 1.26-2.17]) than those who were non-Hispanic/Latinx. A higher number of barriers (per unit increase [range, 0-13]) was associated with higher prevalence of diabetes (AOR, 1.10 [95% CI, 1.04-1.16]), heart disease (AOR, 1.16 [95% CI, 1.07-1.24]), and obesity (AOR, 1.09 [95% CI, 1.04-1.14]) among adults with nutrition security and of heart disease (AOR, 1.12 [95% CI, 1.03-1.22]) and stroke (AOR, 1.12 [95% CI, 1.02-1.25]) among those with nutrition insecurity. In this study among US adults, barriers to nutrition security were interrelated, varied across demographics, and were associated with disease conditions. These findings provide new insights into how barriers to healthy eating can be assessed, informing more targeted clinical, public health, and policy initiatives.

Food literacy is an emerging research area and focus of health promotion initiatives to improve nutrition outcomes. Food literacy is contextual, and definitions differ across specific populations or settings. Food literacy as a concept has not been well studied in Pacific Islander populations. The aim of this scoping review was to identify how food literacy is characterized and measured in the Pacific Islands context and describe food literacy health promotion initiatives that may inform policy, practice, and research. The research questions were as follows: (i) How has food literacy been defined, described, and measured in Pacific Islands countries and territories populations? (ii) What health promotion initiatives have been implemented to develop and improve food literacy in these populations? A scoping review using a published protocol was conducted to identify grey and empirical evidence that broadly defined, described, measured, or explored food literacy and/or its components within Melanesia, Polynesia, and Micronesia subregions, within the previous 30 years. The search using three academic databases and relevant websites identified 44 sources representing 16 Pacific Islands countries and territories. Of these, four sources used the term 'food literacy'. All other sources measured or promoted a food literacy knowledge, skill or behaviour, or a skill without directly naming it, highlighting the unique sociocultural elements influencing food literacy throughout this region. Understanding food literacy from this sociocultural context can help inform public health policy and health promotion practice, leading to more effective initiatives that reflect local values and practices and support local food systems.

Food and nutrition insecurity in high‑income countries is increasingly persistent, driven by intersecting economic, social and environmental disruptions. In Australia, acute shocks such as the COVID‑19 pandemic, floods and bushfires, alongside chronic pressures including rising food prices, housing stress and concentrated corporate power, have exposed structural weaknesses in food access, governance and system resilience. This review examines how community‑led responses to food and nutrition insecurity function during disruption, whether they buffer short-term hardship or contribute to adaptive capacity and redistribution of agency. Guided by the six‑pillar food security framework and a socio-ecological model, responses are examined across household, community, organisational and governance levels. A continuum of responses is identified, ranging from downstream emergency food relief that buffers immediate hardship, through to community and organisational food infrastructure that strengthens local resilience, and governance‑level responses with greater transformative potential. Drawing on this synthesis, we propose the SEEDS (Socio-Ecological Enablers of Dietary Security) Model, which conceptualises how food system responses across socio-ecological levels and over time can progress from buffering (acute) to adaptation (medium‑term), and ultimately transformation (long‑term). Central to this framework is a shift in decision‑making power, accountability and participation. While many initiatives improve food access and short‑term stability during crises, the greatest potential for transformation lies where responses are embedded within governance structures, enable meaningful community participation, and influence policy, procurement and resource allocation. Implications for public health nutrition practice include expanded roles in systems leadership, cross‑sector governance and advocacy for upstream policy reform.

Globalisation in the food system has led to interdependencies between countries for food security and has distributed the environmental impacts of the food consumption. In the UK, food imports account for nearly half of domestic consumption. However, there has been limited research quantifying the UK's current global land use footprint, and no previous work has explored how this might evolve under future scenarios. We provide an update on the historical land footprint of UK food and feed imports from 2010 to 2020 and produce spatially explicit estimates of the land footprint from 2020 to 2100. Food and feed demand, agricultural production and trade are simulated using a food system model under four global socioeconomic and climate scenarios. Using biophysical accounting, we estimate that 11 Mha of agricultural land is currently linked to UK food and feed imports. Across all scenarios, we estimate that the global land footprint of UK food and feed imports will reach 10-12 Mha of agricultural land by 2050 and 10-16 Mha by 2100. With 17 Mha of UK land currently used for agriculture, the land footprint of food and feed imports should be an important focus when evaluating the environmental consequences of UK food consumption.

A robust food production system serves as the cornerstone for ensuring food security. Integrating the conceptual connotations of food production resilience, this study constructs a multi-dimensional evaluation index system encompassing resistance, recovery, and adaptive capacity. Utilizing panel data from Xinjiang spanning 2010 to 2022, the research employs an integrated methodology-including the entropy weight method, a modified gravity model, Social Network Analysis (SNA), and the XGBoost-SHAP model-to systematically analyze the resilience levels, structural network characteristics, and underlying driving mechanisms of food production in the region.The findings indicate that: From 2010 to 2022, the resilience level of food production in Xinjiang exhibited a continuous growth trend, characterized by spatial heterogeneity with a relatively narrow gap. During the study period, the network connectivity of food production resilience in Xinjiang became increasingly tight; however, it was characterized by a low network density along with a topology of high clustering and a short average path. Asymmetric features were observed between input and output regions, accompanied by a decrease in the number of spillovers across blocks. Per capita cultivated land area (X5), traffic accessibility (X15), agricultural technological progress (X12), and average annual temperature (X1) ranked as the top four influential factors, among which the interaction effect between per capita cultivated land area (X5) and traffic accessibility (X15) was the most significant. These research insights can provide valuable references for safeguarding national food security.

Regular monitoring of nutritional indicators serves as an early warning system for policymakers and is essential for the effective governance of food security. This study presents the first 18-year trend analysis of changes in Iranian household food purchases, with a specific focus on inequalities across income deciles and between urban and rural areas in Iran. Data from the Statistical Center of Iran (2005-2022) were analyzed. Six major food groups, calories, and macronutrients derived from household purchases were examined. Linear regression, with year as a continuous predictor, was performed using SPSS (p&#x2009;<&#x2009;0.05 considered significant). Data processing and figure generation were conducted using Microsoft Access 2016 and Excel 2016, respectively. Over the 18-year study period, per capita purchases of all major food groups declined in both urban and rural areas. Urban-rural disparities in household food purchases, as well as the associated estimated calorie and macronutrient quantities, narrowed. Furthermore, although higher-income households consistently purchased more of most food groups (except cereals) than lower-income households, these income-based inequalities also diminished over time. Although nutritional inequalities in Iran have decreased in recent years, the simultaneous decline in overall household food purchases calls for more rigorous research on the subject. Analyzing long-term trends in household food purchase-based nutritional indicators is a critical scientific and policy priority for evaluating programs and designing evidence-based policies.

The aim of this scoping review was to synthesise how supermarkets shape health behaviours and nutrition-related outcomes of vulnerable populations in Australia. Five databases were searched and studies were included if they discussed Australia's major supermarket chains, their relationship with vulnerable populations, and outcomes linked to nutrition behaviour or health. Findings were synthesised narratively and reported using the food systems approach interdisciplinary conceptual framework. Twenty-eight studies met the inclusion criteria. Twenty-seven studies investigated food access, six studies examined health behaviours, and four studies focused on nutrition-related health outcomes. Socioeconomic disadvantage was the only vulnerability explored across all studies. Large supermarket chains provided greater access and availability to foods of higher nutritional quality at lower prices than other types of stores; however, areas of lower socio-economic status experienced poorer proximity to supermarkets. Supermarket food prices were less affordable for low-income households in all locations. Individuals living in lower socio-economic areas had a higher risk of greater body size. Supermarkets play a structural role in the health of socioeconomically vulnerable populations in Australia. Supermarkets are important for the provision of higher nutritional quality foods but can also have negative effects through the stocking and marketing of discretionary foods. Future research is required to understand the relationship between supermarkets and other populations experiencing disadvantage and/or vulnerability, such as those with physical disabilities, older adults, youth, and other cultural backgrounds. The extent of alternative food systems and community-based initiatives that provide food for these groups requires further investigation.

Livestock-based livelihoods underpin food security, dietary quality, and resilience in African arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs), yet the mechanisms linking livestock systems, food environments, and human nutrition under climate variability remain fragmented. This PRISMA-based systematic review synthesizes evidence on the nutritional ecology of pastoralist and agro-pastoralist communities in Sub-Saharan Africa, focusing on livestock-mediated nutrition pathways shaped by ecological and socioeconomic change. Literature published between 2006 and 2026 was systematically identified from PubMed, Scopus, AJOL, CABI, and Google Scholar, yielding 60 studies for qualitative synthesis. Nutrition outcomes assessed across the reviewed studies included Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS), child wasting and stunting, milk intake, micronutrient adequacy, and food security indicators. The evidence shows that livestock support household nutrition through interconnected biological and economic pathways, including direct consumption of animal-source foods, particularly milk, income generation for food purchases, and buffering against seasonal and climate-related shocks. Larger and more diversified herds are generally associated with higher dietary diversity and improved child nutrition, but benefits are strongly mediated by mobility, market access, gendered control of livestock income, and environmental sustainability. Seasonal dynamics drive marked nutritional variation, with wet seasons supporting improved dietary quality and dry seasons linked to heightened food insecurity and child wasting. Constraints on mobility, sedentarization, market disruptions, and environmental degradation further amplify nutrition risks. The evidence base is dominated by cross-sectional study designs, limiting causal inference and constraining understanding of how livestock ownership, environmental conditions, and nutrition outcomes co-evolve across seasons and shocks. The review identifies key evidence gaps, including limited longitudinal studies, underrepresentation of urbanizing pastoralists, and minimal attention to youth nutrition and livelihood transitions. Drawing on a One Health and food-systems framework, addressing these gaps requires integrated nutrition-livestock surveillance and multisectoral policies to advance climate-resilient, nutrition-sensitive livestock development and support progress toward Sustainable Development Goals related to zero hunger, good health and well-being, and climate action in African drylands.

Background: The Veggie Van (VV) model is a mobile produce market intervention previously shown to increase fruit and vegetable (F&V) consumption among lower-income individuals. Although the model was recently evaluated in a multi-state effectiveness trial, preliminary findings suggested challenges to implementing the model with fidelity. This study examined whether variation in implementation fidelity was associated with participant-level dietary, food security, and market utilization outcomes. Methods: This study involved a secondary analysis of participant outcome data from a longitudinal RCT conducted with 9 implementing organizations operating 17 mobile market sites (n=699 participants). Previously collected participant data included baseline and 12-month measures of F&V consumption from 24-hour dietary recalls and self-reported surveys, as well as food security assessed using the USDA 10-item Adult Food Security Survey Module. Participant outcome data were aggregated at the site level and linked with organizational implementation data collected throughout the intervention period. Implementing organizations completed monthly process measures surveys assessing adherence to core VV model components; responses were scored and aggregated into site-level implementation fidelity scores. Correlational analyses and generalized linear models examined associations between implementation fidelity and changes in F&V consumption, food security, and market utilization outcomes over 12 months. Results: The mean implementation fidelity score across sites was 40.6 out of 55 possible points. Higher overall fidelity was positively associated with greater increases in mean F&V consumption over 12 months (Pearson correlation coefficient [PCC]=0.56, p=0.02). Fidelity to the nutrition education component demonstrated a particularly strong association with change in F&V consumption (PCC=0.81, p<0.0001). These associations remained significant in regression analyses. In addition, sites operating markets for &#x2265;10 months annually had 76% greater odds of participants shopping at the mobile market at least once during the intervention period (p=0.04). No significant associations were observed between implementation fidelity and changes in food security. Conclusions: Greater fidelity to the VV model, particularly implementation of nutrition education components, was associated with improved dietary outcomes in this secondary analysis of participant-level RCT data. Findings highlight the importance of evaluating implementation alongside effectiveness outcomes in community-based nutrition interventions and suggest that tailored implementation support strategies may strengthen delivery of intervention components most strongly associated with dietary change. Trial registration: The larger randomized controlled trial, the Veggie Van study, was registered at https://clinicaltrials.gov/ on January 29, 2020 (NCT04246593).

To realize the low-cost preparation of Nitrogen-doped carbon quantum dots (N-CQDs) for high-sensitivity Hg2+ fluorescence detection and their application in food sample analysis, this study used malonic acid as the carbon source and 2,3-diaminopyridine as the nitrogen source to prepare N-CQDs via a one-step microwave-assisted heating method by optimizing the synthesis conditions. The surface functional groups, molecular structure, optical properties, and Hg2+ response characteristics of the N-CQDs were investigated in detail. Finally, the N-CQDs were applied for Hg2+ detection in typical real samples (tap water, rice, and grass shrimp). This study provides new insights and methods for clarifying the structure-activity relationship between N-CQDs and Hg2+ response, and constructing a rapid and accurate Hg2+ fluorescence probe detection system.

Rice (Oryza sativa), a major crop, faces significant threats from various pathogens, which affect global food security. Recent research in plant biology highlights the crucial role of epigenetic mechanisms in regulating rice immunity. Epigenetics involves heritable changes in gene expression without alterations to the DNA sequence, mediated by DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNAs. This review critically evaluates the role of epigenetics in rice immunity, focusing on key epigenetic modifications and their impact on disease resistance, including WRKY transcription factors and epigenetic regulatory factors, such as RdDM (RNA-directed DNA methylation). These epigenetic regulators enable rice plants to dynamically withstand pathogen attacks by modulating the expression of defense-related genes. This review evaluates the epigenetic responses of rice to major pathogens, including Magnaporthe oryzae (M. oryzae) and Xanthomonas oryzae (Xoo). We move beyond simple descriptions of epigenetic marks to analyze the functional integration of these pathways and their trade-offs with plant growth. Finally, we discuss the potential of "epigenetic breeding" and CRISPR-based epi-editing as a sustainable frontier for developing broad-spectrum resistance in rice. Future research should focus on identifying specific epigenetic markers associated with resistance traits and integrating epigenetic approaches with traditional breeding and biotechnological methods to achieve sustainable rice production and ensure food security in the face of evolving pathogen threats.

Cold stress (CS) is a major abiotic factor that significantly affects rice growth, development, and productivity. To withstand CS, rice plants have evolved intricate mechanisms that enable them to detect external signals and respond to changing environmental conditions. Understanding the physiological and molecular mechanisms underlying cold tolerance (CT) is therefore crucial for developing rice cultivars that can thrive under cold conditions. To date, a limited number of genes/QTLs associated with CT, such as: Ctb1, COLD1, COLD6, qLTG3-1, SGD1, and CTB4a, have been cloned and well studied. These genes play essential roles in the plant's response to CS by regulating various stress-related pathways, including reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging, osmotic regulation, and signal transduction. The physical co-localization of OsSRFP1 (associated with CT at the seedling stage) and OsMTACP2 (associated with CT at the reproductive stage) on chromosome 3 (between 13.1-13.3&#x2009;Mb) suggests the potential for simultaneous introgression of these traits into recipient cultivars using donor parents carrying the desirable alleles. Genomic selection, powered by high-throughput genotyping technologies, enhances the accuracy and efficiency of identifying cold-tolerant genotypes. Additionally, integrating multi-omics approaches with gene-editing technologies offers a comprehensive strategy to uncover the complex molecular networks and regulatory pathways involved in CT, thereby identifying potential targets for genetic improvement. Overall, this review emphasizes the potential of integrating molecular, physiological, and genomic tools to develop rice cultivars resilient to CS, thereby contributing to global food security in the context of climate change. Cold stress severely limits rice growth and productivity, posing a significant threat to global food security. Despite some progress, cold tolerance remains a complex trait governed by intricate physiological and molecular mechanisms. This review offers comprehensive information on recent advances in understanding CT, highlighting how physiological responses are intertwined with molecular signalling pathways. By integrating traditional breeding with cutting-edge approaches such as GWAS, genomic selection, multi-omics, and gene editing, this work outlines a unified strategy to accelerate the development of cold-tolerant rice cultivars. This review provides valuable insights to enhance rice adaptation under climate variability and cold-prone environments.

Young edible seedlings of herbs and vegetables, commonly referred to as microgreens, have become nutrient-dense crops, ideally adapted to controlled environment agriculture (CEA). Their short growth cycle, minimal input requirements, and compatibility with both soil and soilless systems make them ideal candidates for weather-resilient and urban crop productions. Unlike previous reviews focusing either on nutrient composition or cultivation practices, the present review uniquely brings together nutritional optimization, agronomical innovations, and postharvest sustainability within CEA framework. The objective is to critically assess the interrelation among environmental management, growth strategies, and nutritional modulation to shape microgreen yield, quality, and resilience. Species from the key families such as Brassicaceae, Amaranthaceae, and Apiaceae have 2-3 times higher levels of vitamins (A, C, E, K) and phenolic-based antioxidant compounds compared to their mature counterparts. Innovations in management of the light spectra, nutrient solution formulation, and substrates have offered precise control over biomass and phytochemical composition. Nevertheless, gaps still exist in genotype-based nutritional response, microbial safety, shelf-life extension, and sustainability. The inclusion of AI-based environment control, biofortification, and environment-friendly packaging will provide nutritional consistency and reduced postharvest losses. By correlating the agronomical management with the nutritional sciences, the present synthesis highlights the potential of microgreens as functional foods to provide sustainable diets alongside global food security.

Cadmium (Cd) contamination in agricultural soils threatens food security and calls for sustainable remediation. Biochar-microbe composites are a promising option, yet the respective ecological roles of abundant and rare microbial taxa in Cd immobilization and plant uptake remain poorly resolved. Here, a bacteria-loaded biochar (BLB) was prepared from FeCl&#x2083;-modified kitchen-waste biochar and Bacillus licheniformis. Spectroscopic and microscopic analyses indicated that bacterial colonization introduced biogenic nitrogenous groups (C-N, N-H) and promoted the formation of surface iron oxyhydroxides, which together favored stable inner-sphere complexation (e.g., Fe/Mn-O-Cd and COO-Cd). In pot experiments, BLB reduced exchangeable Cd by 51.7% and shoot Cd concentration by more than 70% relative to the control, while improving the growth of lettuce (Lactuca sativa). These outcomes were accompanied by distinct, taxon-associated patterns in the rhizosphere and root microbiomes. Abundant taxa were primarily associated with nutrient supply and plant biomass, consistent with a growth-dilution effect on tissue Cd. Rare taxa were correlated with the transformation of Cd into more stable fractions and with co-occurrence network stability, in line with a putative role as biochemical specialists. BLB application coincided with a shift toward deterministic assembly of root endophytes, in which enrichment of Pseudomonadaceae was linked to reinforced Casparian strips and reduced Cd translocation. Structural equation modeling confirmed a tripartite synergistic mechanism comprising rhizosphere detoxification, microbial niche differentiation, and internal plant interception. These findings highlight that manipulating the abundant-rare microbial guilds via functionalized biochar is a potent strategy for achieving both soil remediation and safe crop production.