COVID-19 crisis interlinkage with past pandemics and their effects on food security.

BACKGROUND: Pandemics as health and humanitarian crises have exerted traceable impacts on food security. Almost all past and current pandemics have created a food crisis that affects a share of the global population and threaten global food security. With the more frequent outbreaks of emerging and re-emerging diseases or pandemics, this paper looks at the various types of impacts from the current coronavirus crisis and past pandemics to identify their major impact on food security. SCOPE: To this effect, key strategies that could be put in place to ensure the efficient resilience of food systems before, during, and after the pandemics to mitigate the negative impact of the pandemics on global food security are recommended. The most recent effects of the current coronavirus crisis have been disruptions in the flow of farm labourers and inefficient farm operations leading to postharvest food losses. KEY FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS: Modification of diets between social groups has also been observed. Future response orientations to prevent and mitigate the effects of pandemics on food security will consider pro-active and adapted policy, program, and institutional actions towards the systemic development of global food systems as an interconnected network.

Assessment of the incubating environment for investment in biogas technology in Syria by using AHP and SWOT.

In light of the massive energy supply shortage due to the Syrian war since 2011, renewable energy adoption has a high potential to cover the actual energy demand. Hence, this study aims to shed light on the factors that affect investment in biogas technology. With the scarcity of research on alternative energies in Syria, this paper focused on the characteristics of the Syrian environment toward biogas technology adoption. The results show that Syrian society accepts and desires to adopt new technologies, representing an optimal strategy to stimulate biogas technology use and the need to spread awareness about its benefits. The SWOT model was applied to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats facing biogas technology adoption. The analytical hierarchy process model was applied to set priorities and make better decisions related to the knowledge of biogas, acceptance of biogas technology, desire for and common approach for its use, the resulting organic fertilizer, and administrative and financial aspects. The work concludes that the southern region was at the forefront in the areas studied in terms of weights of biogas technology investment criteria, subsequently, the central and later the coastal regions. By presenting a systematic and comprehensive approach, this study represents a roadmap to assist decision-makers in inking decisions related to adopting and deploying biogas technology on a larger scale and contributes to developing a criterion for selecting biogas sites in Syria.

Briquetting of sugarcane bagasse as a proper waste management technology in Vietnam.

The present research describes an application of high-pressure briquetting technology to the waste management of sugarcane processing in Vietnam. The amount of generated sugarcane bagasse was monitored during sugarcane processing within the street juice production in Hue city, Vietnam. Generated sugarcane bagasse was subjected to fuel parameters analysis within its suitability for direct combustion. The obtained sugarcane bagasse was converted into bio-briquette fuel by a high-pressure briquetting press and its mechanical quality was determined. Results proved that the proportion of generated sugarcane bagasse from whole sugarcane stem mass was equal to 35.45%. This indicated generation of an abundant amount of sugarcane bagasse worldwide in general. Fuel parameters analysis proved high quality level of low ash content = 0.97% and high calorific values (gross calorific value = 18.35 MJ·kg-1, net calorific value = 17.06 MJ·kg-1), which indicated good suitability for direct combustion processes. Indicators of mechanical quality proved the following observations: mechanical durability = 99.29%, compressive strength = 150.82 N∙mm-1 and bulk density = 1022.44 kg·m-3, with all these indicators representing positive results. In general, the observed results indicated suitability of sugarcane bagasse valorization within the production of bio-briquette fuel by using high-pressure briquetting technology. Finally, analysis of such waste biomass proved its great potential for energy recovery, thus, the advantage of its valorization within the sustainable technologies.

Adaptation and Validation of a Modified Broth Microdilution Method for Screening the Anti-Yeast Activity of Plant Phenolics in Apple and Orange Juice Models.

Yeasts are the usual contaminants in fruit juices and other beverages, responsible for the decrease in the quality and shelf-life of such products. Preservatives are principally added to these beverages to enhance their shelf-life. With the increasing consumer concern towards chemical food additives, plant-derived antimicrobials have attracted the attention of researchers as efficient and safer anti-yeast agents. However, the methods currently used for determining their anti-yeast activity are time- and material-consuming. In this study, the anti-yeast effect of plant phenolic compounds in apple and orange juice food models using microtiter plates has been evaluated in order to validate the modified broth microdilution method for screening the antimicrobial activity of juice preservative agents. Among the twelve compounds tested, four showed a significant in vitro growth-inhibitory effect against all tested yeasts (Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Zygosaccharomyces bailii, and Zygosaccharomyces rouxii) in both orange and apple juices. The best results were obtained for pterostilbene in both juices with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) ranging from 32 to 128 µg/mL. Other compounds, namely oxyresveratrol, piceatannol, and ferulic acid, exhibited moderate inhibitory effects with MICs of 256-512 µg/mL. Furthermore, the results indicated that differences in the chemical structures of the compounds tested significantly affected the level of yeast inhibition, whereas stilbenes with methoxy and hydroxy groups produced the strongest effect. Furthermore, the innovative assay developed in this study can be used for screening the anti-yeast activity of juice preservative agents because it saves preparatory and analysis time, laboratory supplies, and manpower in comparison to the methods commonly used.

Dis-adoption of small-scale biogas plants in Vietnam: what is their fate?

Biogas production at a small-scale level through anaerobic digestion has been promoted in Vietnam as an appropriate technology for cooking and animal waste management within rural households. Despite the large number of small-scale biogas plants being built, there is an increase in the reported cases of their dis-adoption. This study attempts to present the state of the art of biogas plants' abandonment issue and reveal the fate of biogas plants. The primary data were collected in Thua Thien Hue province in central Vietnam among owners of small-scale biogas plants selected with the purposive sampling technique. Methods included semi-structured interviews with respondents who abandoned their biogas technology (at least 6 months before the primary data collection) (n = 37) and with respondents who continually use it (n = 62). SPSS 25 IBM was used for the binary logit model with 6 independent variables. Using a logistic regression analysis of various cross-sectional data, key forces were uncovered to determine the factors that can influence the abandonment of biogas technology. Results showed that households with more members working on the farm and those more satisfied with the biogas plant maintenance are less likely to abandon it. Respondents provided the information that their biogas plants mainly were not used for any other purpose after dis-adoption (excepting biogas plants used for further storage of human excreta because they were connected to toilets).

Influence of macronutrients and micronutrients on maize hybrids for biogas production.

Important in the cultivation of corn for biogas production is the selection of appropriate hybrids, macro- and micronutrient dozing and the evaluation of energy and economic efficiency of their use. Therefore, this article presents the results of 3-year field research (2019-2021) on the yield of maize hybrids of different maturity groups grown for silage. The influence of the application of macronutrients and micronutrients on fresh and dry mass yield, chemical composition, methane yield, energy, and economic efficiency was analysed. It was established that depending on the maize hybrid, the application of macro- and micro-fertilizers increased the yield of the fresh mass of maize by 1.4-24.0% compared to options without their use. The evaluation of the theoretical yield of CH4 based on the content of fats, protein, cellulose, and hemicellulose is also presented in different samples of maize. The findings show that the application of macro-and micro-fertilizers is suitable from the energy and economic points of view - profitability begins to appear at the price of biomethane of 0.3-0.4 euros per 1 m3.

Techno-economic analysis of electricity generation from household sewage sludge in different regions of Nigeria.

Waste management has been a chronic environmental challenge in Nigeria, coupled with declining economic performance due to energy crises. This study was designed to estimate electricity potential of sewage sludge to meet the 2030 Renewable Energy target. However, there was a need to fill the gap in data related to wastewater management in Nigeria. The wastewater and sludge generated from households were evaluated based on data on population, access to water, and coverage of sewer networks. Consequently, the technical and economic feasibility of electricity generation was assessed using Anaerobic Digestion (AD)1 and Incineration (INC)2 scenarios. The core results found that North Central had the highest potential for wastewater generation (142.8-403.6 billion litres/yr) and collection (8.3-37.5 billion litres/yr) over 20 years. However, the South East had the highest average sewer collection rate of 9.08 %. The AD technology was the most technically viable, with a maximum generation of 6.8 GWh/yr in the North Central. In comparison, the INC outperformed AD in most of the financial viability indicators considered viz-a-viz: Life Cycle Cost (LCC),3 Net Present Value (NPV),4 Pay Back Period (PBP),5 Internal Rate of Return (IRR),6 Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE).7 The AD had a higher NPV of 16.3-69.58 million USD and a shorter PBP of about 4 years. The INC had a lower LCC of 0.1-0.34 million USD, LCOE of 0.046-0.094 USD/kWh, and a higher IRR of 19.3-25 %. Additionally, the sensitivity of NPV and INC to changes in economic factors would be noteworthy for investors and policymakers. Ultimately, the choice of technology should reflect the fiscal goal and priorities of a project.

Renewable energy powered membrane desalination - review of recent development.

Due to current water stress, there is a problem with hygiene and sanitation in many parts of the world. According to predictions from the United Nations, more than 2.7 billion people will be challenged by water scarcity by the middle of the century. The water industry is increasingly interested in desalination of the sea, ocean, and brackish water. Desalination processes are widely classified as thermal or membrane technologies. In the Middle East, thermal desalination remains the primary technology of choice, but membrane processes, for example reverse osmosis (RO), have evolved rapidly and in many other parts of the world are currently even surpassing thermal processes. The purpose of this paper is to review the renewable energy source, the technology, desalination systems, and their possible integration with renewable energy resources and their cost. This article suggests that the most practical renewable desalination techniques to be used are the solar photovoltaic integrated RO desalination process, the hybrid solar photovoltaic-wind integrated RO desalination process, the hybrid solar photovoltaic-thermal (PVT) integrated RO desalination process, and the hybrid solar photovoltaic-thermal effect distillation (PVT-MED) desalination process. However, intensive research is still required to minimize the cost, reduce the heat loss, enhance the performance, and increase the productivity.

Impact of market constraints on the development of small-scale biogas technology in Sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review.

The sustainable production and use of small-scale biogas energy are required to ensure clean household energy access in developing countries, including the Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) region. This is influenced by market risks, which can be identified as political, economic, social, technical, legal, and environmental (PESTLE). This study examines peer-reviewed and grey literature for the period from 2000 to 2020 to identify the PESTLE constraints and assess their impact on the sustainable development of the technology in the SSA region. The production of biogas with small-scale plants is commonly done by rural and peri-urban households. Results show that economic constraints are the most dominant and reducing at a slow pace. This is followed by political constraints, which have received much attention in the last two decades. Despite the policy improvements, broader national bioenergy policies and interventions are still to make significant gains, especially in the Central African region. In order of significance, the Southern, East, and West Africa regions have made greater progress in reducing the constraints. To achieve the sustainable development of the technology, there is a need to further address the PESTLE constraints at national and regional levels. This study partly deduces that the unsustainable production, use, and inadequate regulation of the small-scale biogas sector are delaying its transition in the SSA region.

Current coronavirus crisis and past pandemics - What can happen in post-COVID-19 agriculture?

Currently, there is an alarming increase in food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic in many countries throughout the world. This will be seen particularly in the countries of the Global South (developing countries). Many countries are trying to show efforts to keep agriculture, food industry and markets running, the supply chains and access to the markets and affordable food is still not secured. Disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic are going to/or already have affected the poor and other marginalised groups, mainly those with less purchasing power. It is necessary to mitigate the pandemic's impacts across the food system, enhance the resilience of food systems and avoid any potential food shortages. Therefore, this paper provides an overview of past pandemics and tries to synthesise the main lessons learned from these while also outlining visions of post-COVID-19 agriculture and the effects on food security.

Nutrient Effect on the Taste of Mineral Waters: Evidence from Europe.

In this study, 15 selected bottled mineral waters from chosen European countries were tested for their mineral nutrient contents. In particular, six important nutrients (Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, K+, HCO3-, Cl-) were measured using atomic absorption spectroscopy. The content of mineral nutrients in all sampled mineral waters were compared to their expected content based on the label. Consequently, their taste was evaluated by 60 trained panelists who participated in the sensory analysis. The results from both the atomic absorption spectroscopy and sensory analysis were analyzed using the regression framework. On the basis of the results from the regression analysis, we determined to what extent the individual mineral nutrients determined the taste of the mineral water. According to the regression results, four out of six analyzed nutrients had a measurable impact on taste. These findings can help producers to provide ideal, health-improving nutrients for mineral water buyers.