Sustainability and Innovation in Agriculture for the Food Production of Tomorrow

Topic Information

Dear Colleagues,

At a time when the transition to sustainable agricultural systems is more urgent than ever, challenges related to food production, natural resource management, and the mitigation of environmental impacts require innovative and cross-sectoral solutions. Sustainable methods promote soil health, biodiversity, and water conservation, ensuring long-term productivity. In addition, emerging technologies such as precision farming, biotechnology, and AI-driven systems are transforming traditional practices to enhance efficiency and reduce environmental impact. By embracing innovation, agriculture can produce more with less, securing food systems for tomorrow’s generations. In line with current European sustainability and innovation policies, promoting the exchange of ideas and the development of solutions can guide the agriculture of the future. This Topic invites contributions on the most recent scientific advances, aimed at ensuring the sustainability and resilience of agri-food systems, while preserving the well-being of territories and society, taking into account the various disciplines of agriculture and their complementary actions.

Dr. Carla Cavallo
Dr. Maura Sannino
Dr. Chiara Amitrano
Dr. Francesco Serrapica
Dr. Christophe El-Nakhel
Topic Editors

Keywords

Participating Journals

Journal Name	Impact Factor	CiteScore	Launched Year	First Decision (median)	APC
Agriculture agriculture	3.6	6.3	2011	18 Days	CHF 2600	Submit
Crops crops	1.9	2.4	2021	23.5 Days	CHF 1200	Submit
Foods foods	5.1	8.7	2012	14.9 Days	CHF 2900	Submit
Horticulturae horticulturae	3.0	5.1	2015	17.1 Days	CHF 2200	Submit
Sustainability sustainability	3.3	7.7	2009	19.3 Days	CHF 2400	Submit
Animals animals	2.7	5.2	2011	17.7 Days	CHF 2400	Submit
Plants plants	4.1	7.6	2012	17.7 Days	CHF 2700	Submit

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All Agriculture Crops Foods Horticulturae Sustainability Animals Plants

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13 pages, 497 KB  

Open AccessArticle

Extracts of Hechtia spp. as Novel Coagulants Reduce the Pollutant Load of Whey

by Leopoldo González-Cruz, Miguel Angel Mosqueda-Avalos, María de la Luz Xochilt Negrete-Rodríguez, Eloy Conde-Barajas, Norma Leticia Flores-Martínez and Aurea Bernardino-Nicanor

Sustainability 2025, 17(14), 6579; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17146579 - 18 Jul 2025

Viewed by 351

Abstract

Traditional coagulant calf rennet, which is used in cheese production, is currently facing the problem of an unsustainable source. In addition, the production of cheese with calf rennet produces whey with high biochemical (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) values. For these reasons, [...] Read more.

Traditional coagulant calf rennet, which is used in cheese production, is currently facing the problem of an unsustainable source. In addition, the production of cheese with calf rennet produces whey with high biochemical (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) values. For these reasons, plant extracts have been investigated as sustainable sources of coagulants for milk. However, there are few reports on the changes in the COD and BOD of whey when plant extracts are used. For this reason, this study investigated the potential of extracts from two Hechtia species native to Mexico (H. glomerata and H. podantha) as sustainable milk coagulants for cheese production, with the aim of simultaneously reducing the pollutant load of residual whey. The milk coagulation efficiency of the extracts of the two Hechtia species was investigated, and in addition, their effects on cheese texture and color, and the composition of the residual whey, including BOD and COD, were evaluated. Most extracts of H. podantha showed adequate milk coagulation and yielded fresh cheese with textural properties comparable to those of cheese produced with conventional calf rennet. A significant reduction in carbohydrate content was achieved when H. podantha extracts were used. As a result, a significant decrease in the BOD and COD values was achieved. In some cases, a reduction of up to 1.78 times compared with those of the control was achieved. The results of this study show that H. podantha is a promising source of natural coagulants for sustainable cheese production, offering a dual benefit by providing an alternative to conventional rennet and reducing the environmental impact of whey. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Sustainability and Innovation in Agriculture for the Food Production of Tomorrow)

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