Insect-based protein feed: from fork to farm

Numerous studies show that insects are efficient in converting organic waste into proteins and fats, which makes them an interesting alternative source of feed. Moreover, since around one-third of global food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted, the production of insect-based meals from food waste is considered a sustainable alternative to other protein sources. This paper introduces a quantitative framework able to analyse the economic implications of developing a large-scale insect-based meal industry worldwide, which would require important regulatory changes. Our calculations, based on findings from the literature, suggest that almost 1.4 billion tonnes of food, that could potentially be used as insect feed, went to waste at the world level in 2018, a figure that is projected to rise to 2 billion tonnes by 2030. Results show that the use of food waste for insect meal and oil production would have important downward price impacts on meals and oils (fish- and plant-based), reducing feed costs and stimulating global aquaculture and livestock production, reducing total land use for agriculture production and lead to a lower dependence on protein imports.

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Resistance to Canadian mining projects in Mexico: lessons from the lifecycle of the San Xavier Mine in San Luis Potosí

Journal of Political Ecology ◽

10.2458/v26i1.22947 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 26 (1) ◽

pp. 84 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Darcy Victor Tetreault

Keyword(s):

Large Scale ◽

Local Level ◽

Living Environment ◽

Human Consumption ◽

Ecological Distribution ◽

Political Class ◽

San Luis ◽

San Luis Potosi ◽

Mining Projects ◽

San Luis Potosí

This article analyses resistance movements to large-scale mining projects in Mexico, particularly the case of sustained organized resistance to the San Xavier Mine, in the central north state of San Luis Potosí. As one of the first struggles in Mexico against Canadian mining projects after the signing of the North American Free Trade Agreement, the leaders of this movement pioneered strategies of resistance on the legal front and were instrumental in building anti-mining alliances and networks on the national and international levels. Now that the excavation process has finished and the mine is closing down, this article seeks to draw on the case to illustrate the complementarity of three approaches for interpreting resistance to mining: class struggle, ecological distribution conflicts, and the clash of cultural valuations over territorial vocation. The argument is that these approaches are not mutually exclusive; they can be combined to explain the multiple dimensions of specific struggles, whose shifts in emphasis at different moments of the struggle are conditioned by – and condition – the phase of a mine's development. By contextualizing the case study in a broader analysis of social environmental conflicts around mining in Mexico and elsewhere in Latin America, the analysis seeks to illustrate the ways in which the struggle against the San Xavier Mine is representative of broader trends, as well as its peculiarities. On the local level, we find the struggle has more to do with defending conditions of social and cultural reproduction than protecting the means of production that sustain traditional livelihoods. This pertains, not just to a non-contaminated living environment and the availability of clean water for human consumption, but also to the conservation of natural and architectural patrimony with historic and cultural significance.Key words: Mining conflicts, Canadian imperialism, political class formation, ecological distribution, cultural valuations

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Micropropagation of Tarenaya rosea (Cleomaceae) from leaf explants

Rodriguésia ◽

10.1590/2175-7860202172020 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 72 ◽

Author(s):

Claudia Simões-Gurgel ◽

Tatiana Carvalho de Castro ◽

Cátia Henriques Callado ◽

Lívia da Silva Cordeiro ◽

Norma Albarello

Keyword(s):

Large Scale ◽

Plant Conservation ◽

Leaf Explants ◽

Plant Production ◽

Anthocyanin Content ◽

Alternative Source ◽

Regeneration Rate ◽

Culture Techniques ◽

Regenerated Plants

Abstract In vitro culture techniques are recognized as efficient strategies for large-scale plant production, as well as providing alternatives for plant conservation. In this study the micropropagation of Tarenaya rosea was established using petiole and foliar blade segments cultivated on MS medium with 6-benzyladenine (BA) and/or 6-furfurylaminopurine (KIN). The regeneration rate from explants was evaluated after 30-days in culture, as well as the proliferation rate from explant-derived shoots, reached after four subcultures performed at 30-days in culture. In vitro propagation occurred by both direct (DO) and indirect (IO) organogenesis. The highest regeneration rates by DO (50% to 100%) were reached on media containing only BA, while morphogenic calluses (IO) were mainly formed with BA+KIN. Explants on media with BA showed the presence of small black nodules on their surface, and histological analysis revealed the presence of trichomes with anthocyanin content. Elongation and rooting were reached on growth regulator-free MS. Acclimatization rates around 80% were achieved and the in vitro-regenerated plants were successfully maintained under field conditions. Results show significant morphogenetic potential of T. rosea from leaf explants, mainly when cultivated in the presence of 4.4 µM BA, providing a new alternative source of plant material for biotechnological and in vitro conservation studies.

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Eat or Throw Away? Factors Differentiating High Food Wasters from Low Food Wasters

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su131910741 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (19) ◽

pp. 10741

Author(s):

Ovidija Eičaitė ◽

Gitana Alenčikienė ◽

Ingrida Pauliukaitytė ◽

Alvija Šalaševičienė

Keyword(s):

Food Waste ◽

Large Scale ◽

Food Poisoning ◽

Binary Logistic Regression ◽

Impulse Buying ◽

High Food ◽

Household Level ◽

Face To Face ◽

Multi Stage ◽

Sample Data

More than half of food waste is generated at the household level, and therefore, it is important to tackle and attempt to solve the problem of consumer food waste. This study aimed to identify factors differentiating high food wasters from low food wasters. A large-scale survey was conducted in Lithuania. A total of 1001 respondents had participated in this survey and were selected using a multi-stage probability sample. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire. Binary logistic regression modelling was used to analyse the effect of socio-demographics, food-related behaviours, attitudes towards food waste, and knowledge of date labelling on levels of food waste. Impulse buying, inappropriate food preparation practices, non-consumption of leftovers, lack of concern about food waste, and worry about food poisoning were related to higher food waste. On the other hand, correct planning practices and knowledge of date labelling were related to lower food waste. The findings of this study have practical implications for designing interventions aimed at reducing consumer food waste.

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Tackling the challenges of reducing and managing food waste in Mumbai restaurants

British Food Journal ◽

10.1108/bfj-06-2017-0324 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 120 (3) ◽

pp. 639-649 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Jehangir Bharucha

Keyword(s):

Waste Management ◽

Food Waste ◽

Large Scale ◽

Qualitative Inquiry ◽

Restaurant Industry ◽

Content Type ◽

Innovative Strategies ◽

A Value ◽

Research Population ◽

Restaurant Owners

Purpose Around 67 million tons of food is wasted in India every year, which has a value of more than US$14 billion (Haq, 2016). The purpose of this paper is to concentrate on one major source to which the current massive proportion of wastage can be attributed: restaurants. It investigates the statistics, the problem at large, how the restaurants are handling it and recommends ways to better manage the issue. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative inquiry has been used. The research population for this study consisted of 63 restaurant owners across Mumbai city and its suburbs. In-depth discussions were held with these restaurant owners/managers in various matters of interest to this study. Findings The group of restaurateurs opined that the solution to Mumbai’s restaurants waste management lies in micro management rather than large scale plans. In total, 75 percent of the restaurants have 10-20 percent extra preparation. High-end fine-dining restaurants make even more additional preparations and are the ones more receptive to participating and also sensitive toward importance of waste management. Several of the restaurant owners claim that they can estimate the requirements on specific days of the week. In all, 18 percent of the restaurants surveyed claimed to have a complete dispose of policy. Majority of the restaurants have a clear policy to distribute the surplus food among their staff. Several other innovative strategies were shared. Research limitations/implications The restaurant owners/mangers may not have truthfully answered all questions. The participants might have the fear that the authorities would take cognizance of some of the practices that they are following and would have been guarded in their responses. There would always be a fear that the identities would not be kept confidential. Practical implications India as a country has been agriculture based for centuries and characterized by massive food production. Yet, people face rampant starvation and malnourishment. This arises to a large extent due to the colossal amounts of food wasted at marriages, restaurants and even by destruction of crops. Originality/value The restaurant industry is of critical importance to the Indian economy and while research in India has focused on overall food wastage, studies on restaurant food waste are lacking.

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Manufacturer’s Entry in the Product-Sharing Market

Manufacturing & Service Operations Management ◽

10.1287/msom.2020.0919 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Lin Tian ◽

Baojun Jiang ◽

Yifan Xu

Keyword(s):

Transaction Cost ◽

Mobile Communications ◽

Marginal Cost ◽

Large Scale ◽

Economic Benefits ◽

Problem Definition ◽

Environmental Benefits ◽

Economic Implications ◽

Cost Of Production ◽

The Impact

Problem definition: Mobile communications technologies and online platforms have enabled large-scale consumer-to-consumer (C2C) sharing of their underutilized products. This paper studies a manufacturer’s optimal entry strategy in the product-sharing market and the economic implications of its entry. Academic/practical relevance: Sharing of products or services among consumers has experienced dramatic growth in recent years. The impact of C2C sharing on traditional firms can be very significant. In response to C2C product sharing, many manufacturers (e.g., General Motors and BMW) have entered the product-sharing market to provide business-to-consumer (B2C) rental services in addition to outright sales to consumers. Methodology: We employ a game-theoretic analytical model for our analysis. Results: Our analysis shows that when C2C sharing has a low transaction cost and the manufacturer’s marginal cost of production is not very high, the manufacturer will find it not optimal to offer its own rental services to consumers. In contrast, when the C2C sharing transaction cost is high or the manufacturer’s marginal cost of production is high, the manufacturer should offer enough units of the products for rental to squeeze out C2C sharing (in expectation). When the C2C-sharing transaction cost and the manufacturer’s marginal cost are both in the middle ranges, the manufacturer’s rental services and the C2C sharing will coexist, in which case the manufacturer’s entry in the sharing market may reduce the total number of units of the product in the whole market, but increase the consumer surplus and the social welfare. This reduced number of products due to the manufacturer’s B2C rental service also suggests less environmental impact from production. Managerial implications: The production cost and the C2C sharing transaction cost play critical roles in determining the manufacturer’s optimal quantity to use for its B2C rental services and the equilibrium outcome. In some situations, the manufacturer’s entry in the sharing market provides not only economic benefits to the firm and consumers, but also environmental benefits to the society as a whole.

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Feed Efficiency Can Be Sustained in Pigs Fed with Locally Produced Narbon Vetch (Vicia narbonensis L.)

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12103993 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (10) ◽

pp. 3993

Author(s):

Emilio Gómez Izquierdo ◽

Luis Gomez-Raya ◽

Eduardo de Mercado de la Peña ◽

Juan José Ciruelos ◽

Wendy M. Rauw

Keyword(s):

Soybean Meal ◽

Feed Intake ◽

Feed Efficiency ◽

Body Weight Gain ◽

Soil Conditions ◽

Feed Conversion ◽

Economic Implications ◽

Livestock Feeds ◽

Daily Body Weight ◽

Feed Costs

There is an interest in replacing soybean meal with locally produced ingredients in livestock feeds. Narbon vetch is resistant to unfavorable climatic and soil conditions, common pests, and has a favorable nutritional profile. The effect of substitution of soybean meal with 0% (V0), 5% (V5), 10% (V10), and 20% (V20) inclusion of Narbon vetch on growth curve parameters, daily body weight gain (DBWG), daily feed intake (DFI), feed conversion efficiency (FCE), and residual feed intake (RFI) was investigated in 47 Duroc × Iberian barrows in 16 periods (a total of 125 d). DFI and DBWG were reduced (p < 0.05) up to four weeks after introduction of the novel feed in V20 and V10. Small, mostly nonsignificant differences existed between treatments in FCE and RFI. However, because of accumulative small differences in feed efficiency between the four diets, pigs in V0 reached the highest BW, and pigs in V20 reached the lowest BW on a similar feed intake. Economic implications of Narbon vetch inclusion depend on the extra amount of feed required and associated feed costs, and on the costs of additional days on-farm required to reach a given slaughter weight.

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GEOSEQUESTRATION—A SOLUTION FOR AUSTRALIA?

The APPEA Journal ◽

10.1071/aj05026 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 46 (1) ◽

pp. 445

Author(s):

A.M. Warburton ◽

J.A. Grove ◽

S. Then

Keyword(s):

Carbon Dioxide Emissions ◽

Large Scale ◽

Third Party ◽

Legal Advice ◽

Gas Processing ◽

Power Stations ◽

Regulatory Changes ◽

Processing Plants ◽

The Status ◽

National Approach

Managing its growing greenhouse gas emissions has become a key issue in Australia’s energy and environmental policy.Geological storage (or geosequestration) of carbon dioxide emissions produced by power stations and gas processing plants is being promoted as an innovative way to combat the threat of climate change. Australian governments and industry are interested in the process because it would allow Australia to continue to rely on its extensive fossil fuel reserves as an energy source and export commodity into the future. The process, however, is still in an experimental phase. If geosequestration does prove to be a viable technology then regulatory changes will be required to facilitate large-scale commercial use.This paper discusses the status of geosequestration development in Australia. It considers some of the key legal and regulatory issues that would need to be addressed to allow geosequestration projects to proceed, including:jurisdictional issues between State and Commonwealth governments;access to land and rights to use storage sites;priorities between competing land uses;potential application of third party access regimes to geosequestration infrastructure;potential legal liabilities, especially over the longer term; and,the extent to which a consistent national approach to the regulation of geosequestration may be required. This paper is general in nature and must not be relied upon as legal advice in any respect.

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Comparison of Conventional and Sustainable Lipid Extraction Methods for the Production of Oil and Protein Isolate from Edible Insect Meal

Foods ◽

10.3390/foods8110572 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 8 (11) ◽

pp. 572 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Laroche ◽

Perreault ◽

Marciniak ◽

Gravel ◽

Chamberland ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Supercritical Co2 ◽

Protein Extraction ◽

Lipid Extraction ◽

Tenebrio Molitor ◽

Extraction Methods ◽

Extraction Yield ◽

Acheta Domesticus ◽

Human Consumption ◽

Alternative Source ◽

Edible Insect

Edible insects represent an interesting alternative source of protein for human consumption but the main hurdle facing the edible insect sector is low consumer acceptance. However, increased acceptance is anticipated when insects are incorporated as a processed ingredient, such as protein-rich powder, rather than presented whole. To produce edible insect fractions with high protein content, a defatting step is necessary. This study investigated the effects of six defatting methods (conventional solvents, three-phase partitioning, and supercritical CO2) on lipid extraction yield, fatty profiles, and protein extraction and purification of house cricket (Acheta domesticus) and mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) meals. Ethanol increased the lipid extraction yield (22.7%–28.8%), irrespective of the insect meal used or the extraction method applied. Supercritical CO2 gave similar lipid extraction yields as conventional methods for Tenebrio molitor (T. molitor) (22.1%) but was less efficient for Acheta domesticus (A. domesticus) (11.9%). The protein extraction yield ranged from 12.4% to 38.9% for A. domesticus, and from 11.9% to 39.3% for T. molitor, whereas purification rates ranged from 58.3% to 78.5% for A. domesticus and from 48.7% to 75.4% for T. molitor.

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