Get your Global Food Security paper right the first time: a ready-made structure with the right abstract and citations, so editors see your science, not formatting slips.
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Authored by Sumalatha Gangadhar | Published on 13 August, 2026
Submitting to Global Food Security goes smoothly when your draft already matches the journal's own rules. Editors screen new manuscripts against the Global Food Security guide for authors before peer review, so formatting, structure, and required statements should be right on the first draft rather than repaired during upload. This template sets that structure up for you.
It is a manuscript shell aligned to Global Food Security. It covers front matter, the abstract the journal expects, a body organized to the journal's article types, and a reference list in the journal's required style. Confirm current scope and article types on the Global Food Security journal page before you draft.
Prepare the title, authors, affiliations, and ORCID iDs. Write the abstract to the journal's rule and word limit, organize the body to the article type, and apply the required reference style from the first citation. Complete every declaration (ethics, competing interests, funding, data availability) the Global Food Security guide for authors lists, and cite figures and tables in order.
The common failure modes are formatting or reference style that does not match the guide for authors, missing required statements, and an incomplete portal checklist. Clear all three against the Global Food Security guide for authors before you submit.
The shell mirrors what editorial staff check first: article-type fit, the abstract rules, required declarations, and the journal's reference style. For more detail see the author resources. When your draft is ready, upload it through the journal's submission system.
| Element | Global Food Security requirement |
|---|---|
| Abstract | Unstructured abstract required, maximum 250 words. The abstract should briefly state the purpose of the research, principal results and major conclusions. Must be able to stand alone. Avoid references unless essential (if included, cite author(s) and year(s)). Avoid non-standard or uncommon abbreviations unless essential (if included, define at first mention) |
| Main text | Review papers: Maximum 5500 words. Original research: Maximum 5500 words plus optional technical annex of maximum 1000 words. Word counts exclude abstract, keywords, references, figures, and tables. Article structure: divide manuscript into clearly defined and numbered sections, with subsections numbered 1.1, 1.2, etc |
| Declarations | Ethics approval/consent as applicable; competing interests; funding; data availability |
| Figures/tables | Publication-ready; cited in order |
| Supplemental | Upload separately when used |
| Keywords | Required: 1 to 7 keywords for indexing purposes. Keywords should be written in English. Avoid keywords consisting of multiple words (using 'and' or 'of'). Use abbreviations in keywords only if firmly established in the field |
| References | Author-date style (Harvard-like). Citations in text: single author by name and year; two authors by both names and year; three or more authors by first author's name followed by 'et al.' and year. Reference list arranged alphabetically, then chronologically if necessary. Journal names abbreviated according to LTWA (List of Title Word Abbreviations). Any reference style accepted at submission as long as consistent, but journal style applied at proof stage after acceptance |
| Peer review | Double anonymized (double-blind) review process. Author identities are concealed from reviewers and vice versa. Manuscripts are initially assessed by editors for suitability, then typically sent to a minimum of two reviewers for independent expert assessment of scientific quality. Final decision made by editors |
| Submission | submit.elsevier.com/GFS |
Read the Global Food Security guide for authors once before drafting and once before upload. Draft the abstract after results are stable. Set the reference style before adding citations. Keep a cover letter that states your contribution and fit to Global Food Security in under a page.
Skim two or three recent Global Food Security papers to calibrate depth and figure style. Make the novelty clear in the first two pages. Deposit data and code when the policy on the Global Food Security journal page requires it. Disclose any preprint or conference version with identifiers in the cover letter.
Do one focused pass against the Global Food Security guide for authors: scope, length, reference style, required declarations, and figure quality. Then submit through the journal's submission system.