Food and beverage production is an industry with the main raw materials generally obtained from plant and animal sources and the industry has always aimed to convert these raw materials to a value added products. During this conversion processes, voluminous and serious amounts of food wastes and by-products are generated. Unfortunately, one-third of the global food production is wasted worldwid...

Fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) or biodiesel is a biofuel conventionally produced from edible oil and methanol, using an alkaline catalyst, through a transesterification reaction. As FAME is mostly produced from edible vegetable oils, crop soils are used for its production, increasing deforestation and producing a fuel more expensive than diesel. In addition, between 70 and 80% of the total FAME...

Efficient liberation of fermentable soluble sugars from lignocellulosic biomass waste not only decreases solid waste handling but also produces value-added biofuels and biobased products. Industrial hemp, a special economic crop, is cultivated for its high-quality fibers and high-value seed oil, but its hollow stalk cords (hurds) are a cellulosic waste. The cellulose-solvent-based lignocellulos...

Biochars are produced by low-oxygen gasification or pyrolysis of organic waste products, and can be co-produced with energy, achieving waste diversion and delivering a soil amendment that can improve agricultural yields. Although many studies have reported the agronomic benefits of biochars produced from pyrolysis, few have interrogated the ability of gasified biochars to improve crop productiv...

A computer-based decision support system is described which aims to encourage and enhance sound environmental management within agriculture. Part of the system focuses on the management of pesticides on the farm, and can help to ensure that the farmer adopts practices which maximise crop production and profitability without jeopardising the environment. The approach taken looks at all aspects o...

The University of Hertfordshire, funded by MAFF and in collaboration with ADAS and IACRRothamsted, is currently developing a computer-based decision support system to encourage and enhance best practice within arable agriculture such that environmental protection can be given a high priority without jeopardising profitability. A significant part of this system is focused towards the use and man...

The production of lactic acid from fossil fuel is now widely accepted as unsustainable due to depleting resources and the accumulation of environmentally hazardous chemicals. Cheap raw material is one of the key inputs to cost effective production of Lactic acid. This paper reviews current research in lactic acid fermentation processes, bio-residue availability in Ghana and potential utilizatio...

Biorefinery applications are receiving growing interest due to climatic and waste disposal issues and lack of petroleum resources. Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus L.) is suitable for biorefinery applications due to high biomass production and limited cultivation requirements. This paper focuses on the potential of Jerusalem artichoke as a biorefinery crop and the most viable products ...

The volume of solid waste produced in the world is increasing annually, and disposing of such wastes is a growing problem. Fly ash (FA) is a form of solid waste that is derived from the combustion of coal. Research has shown that fly ash may be disposed of by using it to amend agricultural soils. This review addresses the feasibility of amending agricultural field soils with fly ash for the pur...

A framework for the integration of poultry and fish production in the tropics and sub-tropics is proposed. Poultry may be integrated with fish culture in several ways and benefits extend to both. Both poultry production and processing wastes have value as nutrient inputs to fish and the water used for fish culture can be used for evaporative cooling of poultry and fertilization of crops. The co...