Organic Waste for Sustainable Agriculture
A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472). This special issue belongs to the section "Agricultural Systems and Management".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 April 2023) | Viewed by 2440
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The agricultural sector has great significance for the economic development of a nation because it is associated with industries which use agri-produce as a raw material, as well as animal husbandry. In developing countries and low-income countries, livestock contributes more than 30% to agriculture-based GDP. Moreover, livestock keeping and rearing is a secondary source of income for farmers in tropical regions.
In most countries around the world, the irrational disposal of organic waste from agricultural practices (agri-residue and livestock excreta) and processing industries using agri-produce as a raw material is an environmental concern. Worldwide, hundreds of millions of tonnes of organic waste from agri- and agri-processing industries (A&AP) is generated every year, and mostly underutilized. This is mainly due to a lack of awareness of scientific routes of A&AP waste valorization. Recycling value-added organic waste not only increases the income of local farmers, but also the economy of the whole nation.
The utilization of agro-waste such as crop residues, livestock dung and agro-industrial food processing waste—such as fruit and vegetable waste—is an opportunity to produce products which are high in value, such as agriculture enzymes, plant bio-stimulants, biochemicals, and bio-fuels, as well as fertilizers. Organic waste has untapped potential to be utilized for the production of valuable commercial products that are applicable in the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries, thus increasing the overall sustainability of the agricultural sector.
The concepts of integrated biorefinery, circular economy and the sustainable management of agro-waste are currently being explored for agro-waste valorization. The development of scalable, economically feasible and environmentally sustainable processes to create innovative value-added products would contribute significantly to supply chain management, control price fluctuations of agro-produce, and support the concept of circular economy.
In this context, this Special Issue aims to highlight recent advances in the utilization of organic waste from A&AP and livestock through innovative technologies. We welcome the submission of full research articles, short communications, and review articles on topics including, but not limited to:
- The valorization of organic waste from A&AP and livestock;
- Approaches to reduce the environmental impact of agriculture using organic waste;
- Integrated biorefinery approaches for waste valorization;
- Novel agri inputs using organic waste;
- Supply chain management of agro-industrial waste;
- The evaluation of agricultural sustainability using tools such as life cycle assessment, sustainability index, techno-economic analysis, etc.
Prof. Dr. Sachin Mandavgane
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- agricultural residues
- food processing waste
- organic manure
- composting
- pretreatment
- agro-waste valorization
- waste bio refinery
- livestock fodder
- co-digestion
- life cycle assessment of food products
- sustainable agriculture
- circular agriculture
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