Generally, agriculture and food industries generate large amount of waste during production, processing, and consumption, especially throughout the entire agri-food production supply chain. The projected global population, modern agricultural practices, and consumer behavior are the major contributors for the exploitation of food and agro-industrial wastes, which negatively impact the environment, economy, and society. Over the years, different waste management strategies have been adapted to prevent food and agro-industrial waste generation, including reduce-reuse-recycle (3R), waste valorization/revalorization, and on/off-site food waste treatments. However, part of food and agro-industrial waste, such as peels, bark, brown onion skin, spent coffee grounds, seeds, vegetable leaves, straws, husk, shells, pomace, and other by-products remain discarded as an eco-friendly agricultural waste.
Currently, worsening of conventional food and agro-industrial waste management strategies (i.e., land filling, composting, and incineration) have deviated to focus on valorization/revalorization approach as a green and sustainable management of food and agro-industrial waste. By using smart and sustainable valorization/revalorization strategies, food and agro-industrial waste can be utilized for the production of bio-based products, renewable energy, biogas, industrial enzymes, bioactive compounds, pigments, bio-nano-composites, novel biodegradable materials, and many other low-cost commercial products. It is crucial, however, to increase the effective valorization of food and agro-industrial waste to produce high-value products with no microbiological hazards and ensuring the suitability for wider applications in pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food, and chemical industries. This Research Topic therefore aims to cover novel approaches to valorize food and agro-industrial waste/by-products and their potential application in production of biorefineries, biochemicals, biodegradable materials, bioactive compounds, and food product development.
We are particularly interested in high-quality scientific original research papers and state-of-the-art reviews in the following areas, but not limited to:
• Emerging technological innovations (e.g., enzymatic hydrolysis, nanotechnology, green extraction technologies) for food and agro-industrial waste based biorefineries, value-added bio-based products, and bioactive compounds.
• Emerging green biotechnological processes for food and agro-industrial waste utilization.
• Techno-economic viability, life cycle analysis, and commercialization of zero waste emerging biotransformation technologies.
• Benefits of emerging technological innovations to environmental abatement, circular economy, and better waste management strategies.
• Upcycling technologies and resource recovery waste and wastewater treatment to a circular economy and GHG emissions reduction.
• Safety assessment of food and agro-industrial waste-based products containing, food, pharma, and cosmetic applications.
• Food and agro-industrial waste treatment legislation, policy planning, and management.
Generally, agriculture and food industries generate large amount of waste during production, processing, and consumption, especially throughout the entire agri-food production supply chain. The projected global population, modern agricultural practices, and consumer behavior are the major contributors for the exploitation of food and agro-industrial wastes, which negatively impact the environment, economy, and society. Over the years, different waste management strategies have been adapted to prevent food and agro-industrial waste generation, including reduce-reuse-recycle (3R), waste valorization/revalorization, and on/off-site food waste treatments. However, part of food and agro-industrial waste, such as peels, bark, brown onion skin, spent coffee grounds, seeds, vegetable leaves, straws, husk, shells, pomace, and other by-products remain discarded as an eco-friendly agricultural waste.
Currently, worsening of conventional food and agro-industrial waste management strategies (i.e., land filling, composting, and incineration) have deviated to focus on valorization/revalorization approach as a green and sustainable management of food and agro-industrial waste. By using smart and sustainable valorization/revalorization strategies, food and agro-industrial waste can be utilized for the production of bio-based products, renewable energy, biogas, industrial enzymes, bioactive compounds, pigments, bio-nano-composites, novel biodegradable materials, and many other low-cost commercial products. It is crucial, however, to increase the effective valorization of food and agro-industrial waste to produce high-value products with no microbiological hazards and ensuring the suitability for wider applications in pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food, and chemical industries. This Research Topic therefore aims to cover novel approaches to valorize food and agro-industrial waste/by-products and their potential application in production of biorefineries, biochemicals, biodegradable materials, bioactive compounds, and food product development.
We are particularly interested in high-quality scientific original research papers and state-of-the-art reviews in the following areas, but not limited to:
• Emerging technological innovations (e.g., enzymatic hydrolysis, nanotechnology, green extraction technologies) for food and agro-industrial waste based biorefineries, value-added bio-based products, and bioactive compounds.
• Emerging green biotechnological processes for food and agro-industrial waste utilization.
• Techno-economic viability, life cycle analysis, and commercialization of zero waste emerging biotransformation technologies.
• Benefits of emerging technological innovations to environmental abatement, circular economy, and better waste management strategies.
• Upcycling technologies and resource recovery waste and wastewater treatment to a circular economy and GHG emissions reduction.
• Safety assessment of food and agro-industrial waste-based products containing, food, pharma, and cosmetic applications.
• Food and agro-industrial waste treatment legislation, policy planning, and management.