A Roadmap to Reduce U.S. Food Waste by 20 Percent

The magnitude of the food waste problem is difficult to comprehend. The U.S. spends $218 billion a year -- 1.3% of GDP -- growing, processing, transporting, and disposing of food that is never eaten. The causes of food waste are diverse, ranging from crops that never get harvested, to food left on overfilled plates, to near-expired milk and stale bread. ReFED is a coalition of over 30 business, nonprofit, foundation, and government leaders committed to building a different future, where food waste prevention, recovery, and recycling are recognized as an untapped opportunity to create jobs, alleviate hunger, and protect the environment -- all while stimulating a new multi-billion dollar market opportunity. ReFED developed A Roadmap to Reduce U.S. Food Waste as a data-driven guide to collectively take action to reduce food waste at scale nationwide.This Roadmap report is a guide and a call to action for us to work together to solve this problem. Businesses can save money for themselves and their customers. Policymakers can unleash a new wave of local job creation. Foundations can take a major step in addressing environmental issues and hunger. And innovators across all sectors can launch new products, services, and business models. There will be no losers, only winners, as food finds its way to its highest and best use

Agri-food business: Global challenges â Innovative solutions

The rise of a western-style middle class in many successful emerging economies like China currently is inducing deep structural changes on agricultural world markets and within the global agri-food business. As a result of both higher incomes and concerns over product safety and quality the global demand for high-quality and safe food products is increasing significantly. In order to meet the new required quality, globally minimum quality standards are rising and private standards emerging. All over the world these developments cause adjustments at the enterprise, chain and market levels. At the same time, the tremendously increasing demand for renewable energy has led to the emergence of a highly promising market for biomass production. This has far-reaching consequences for resource allocation in the agri-food business, for the environment, for the poor in developing countries and for agricultural policy reforms. The challenges increase with ongoing liberalisation, globalisation and standardisation, all of which change trade patterns for agricultural and food commodities, and influence production costs and commodity prices. The objective of the IAMO Forum is to show opportunities as well as risks for all participants of the food economy in the ongoing globalisation process: for small peasants in developing countries, farmers in Europe and globally active food enterprises and retailers. The success of enterprises depends on the ability to find innovative solutions with regard to the organisation of enterprises, chains, and markets, as well as future policy design. Concerning bio-energy strategies has to be identified to combat global warming most efficiently and concurrently attenuate the competition between "tank and table" on farmland. IAMO Forum 2008, as well as this book, would not have been possible without the engagement of many people and institutions. We thank the authors of the papers, as well as the referees. Furthermore we are highly indebted to MARLIES LOHR, NADINE GIEMSA and RONNY RECKE who in an outstanding way contributed to the organisation of the Forum. This is true as well for the IAMO administration, whose work we gratefully acknowledge. Many sponsors has funded the IAMO Forum 2008. We are very grateful to the German Research Foundation (DFG), The Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer Production in Germany, The Ministry of Cultural Affairs of the Federal State Saxony-Anhalt, Germany and last but not least the City of Halle. Further Conference sponsors are the BIONADE Corporation, Gaensefurther Mineral Water, The Wine Growers Association of the Region Saale-Unstrut, Germany, Obsthof am SüÃen See GmbH, Monsanto Company, KWS Saat AG, Sachsen-Anhalt-Tours, Baumkuchen Salzwedel and the Hallesches Brauhaus.Agribusiness, Agricultural and Food Policy, Agricultural Finance, Community/Rural/Urban Development, Industrial Organization, Institutional and Behavioral Economics, International Development, Marketing, Political Economy,

Analysis of Barriers in the Transition toward Sustainable Mobility in the Netherlands

The transition toward a sustainable transportation system in the Netherlands takes place in the context of the Dutch “Transition management policy framework”. We study four tech¬nological routes that the “Platform Sustainable Mobility” has selected for this goal: (1) hybridization of vehicles, (2) liquid biofuels, (3) natural gas as a transportation fuel and (4) hydrogen as a transportation fuel. These technological routes all envision large-scale changes in vehicle propulsion technology and fuel infrastructure. Furthermore, they compete for the scarce resources available to invest in new (fuel) infrastructures, which implicates that these ‘transition paths’ are also interdependent at the level of the mobility system. The main outcome of the analysis is the identification of barriers that are currently blocking the transition toward sustainable mobility. Barriers are classified as being related to (1) technology and vehicle development, (2) the availability of (fuel) infrastructures, and (3) elements of the institutional infrastructure. The transition management framework currently misses guidelines for coping with (competing) technologies that each requires large infrastructural investments. We further argue that avoiding undesired lock-ins and creating a beneficial institutional context for sustainable mobility cannot be pursued at the transition path level. Therefore, we recommend that a more systemic approach should be taken to the tran¬si¬tion to sustainable mobility, in which the inter¬dependencies between the transition paths are critically assessed and in which the possibilities to legitimize sustainable mobility as a whole should be used.Innovation, Transition management, Sustainable Mobility, Barriers

Agri-food business: global challenges - innovative solutions

The rise of a western-style middle class in many successful emerging economies like China currently is inducing deep structural changes on agricultural world markets and within the global agri-food business. As a result of both higher incomes and concerns over product safety and quality the global demand for high-quality and safe food products is increasing significantly. In order to meet the new required quality, globally minimum quality standards are rising and private standards emerging. All over the world these developments cause adjustments at the enterprise, chain and market levels. At the same time, the tremendously increasing demand for renewable energy has led to the emergence of a highly promising market for biomass production. This has far-reaching consequences for resource allocation in the agri-food business, for the environment, for the poor in developing countries and for agricultural policy reforms. The challenges increase with ongoing liberalisation, globalisation and standardisation, all of which change trade patterns for agricultural and food commodities, and influence production costs and commodity prices. CONTENTS: Preface... i; On the political economy of food standards ... 1, Johan F. M. Swinnen, Thijs Vandemoortele; An analytical framework for the study of deviant behaviour in production... 11, Norbert Hirschauer, Gaetano Martino; Netchain innovations for sustainable pork supply chains in an EU Context... 22, Rannia Nijhoff-Savvaki, Jacques Trienekens, Onno Omta; Inclusion of dairy farms in supply chain in Bulgaria - Modes, efficiency, perspectives... 35, Hrabrin Bachev; The effective traceability on the example of Polish supply chain ... 47, Agnieszka Bezat, Sebastian Jarzebowski; Geographical indications in transition countries: Governance, vertical integration and territorial impact. Illustration with case studies from Serbia... 58, Marguerite Paus; Processing and marketing feasibility of underutilized fruit species of Rajasthan, India ... 70, Dheeraj Singh, Lobsang Wangshu, V. C. Prahalad; Future impact of new technologies upon food quality and health in Central Eastern European countries... 82, Lajos Zoltán Bakucs, Imre Ferto, Attila Havas; Are food industry companies interested in co-financing collective agricultural marketing?... 95, Anikó Tóth, Csaba Forgács; Farmers' reasons for engaging in bioenergy utilisation and their institutional context: A case study from Germany ... 106, Melf-Hinrich Ehlers; Degree and pattern of agro-food trade integration of South-Eastern European countries with the European Union ... 118, Štefan Bojnec, Imre Ferto; Competitiveness of cotton and wheat production and processing in Central Asia ... 133, Inna Levkovych --

Safety Related Challenges when Designing Sustainable Cities

The transition towards sustainable city planning is challenging from many perspectives, e.g. the speed of development towards fossil free fuels and updating of regulations for controlling risk in the transport infrastructure do not manage to keep an even pace. This applies both at the detailed level regarding technical design requirements and on a more comprehensive performance level of safety objectives that can be verified to confirm compliance with society's safety objectives. This paper presents challenges, experiences and results in connection with the analysis of the risks associated with an underground bus terminal operated with gas-powered buses. A risk analysis approach used in an ongoing project in the final stage of the planning process, which makes it possible to discuss experiences and difficulties based on work in practice. Two main types of injury are studied; fire and explosion, where people can be exposed to both high temperatures, toxic smoke, radiation, pressure waves and impact by flying debris. Fire, may occur with ignition of combustible gas mixture (in air). It can be noted that an underground bus terminal operated by gas-powered buses constitutes a complex facility from a risk perspective and that the risk level without special consideration for additional safety measures is expected to be high. Therefore, a safety concept is required that is balanced between different types of measures, such as supervision, control and safety enhancing installations as well as inherent passive protection

Aquaculture Asia, Vol. 7, No. 3, pp.1-60, July - September 2002

CONTENTS: Sustainable Aquaculture - Peter Edwards writes on rural aquaculture: Aquaculture for Poverty Alleviation and Food Security - Part II. Shrimp pond waste management by U Win Latt. The role of rural extension in the sustainable development of Chinese aquaculture by Min Kuanhong. Farmers as Scientists: Diversity enhances profitability and sustainability by M.C. Nandeesha. Properties of Liming Materials by Claude E. Boyd, Mali Boonyaratpalin & Taworn Thunjai. Seed Production of Mud Crab Scylla spp. by Emilia T. Quinitio, Fe Delores Parado-Estepa and Eduard Rodriguez Genes and Fish: The dilemmas of strain selection by Graham Mair. Seed Production of the Crucifix Crab Charybdis feriatus by Fe Delores Parado-Estepa, Eduard Rodriguez and Emilia T. Quinitio. Aquaculture Fundamentals: A general approach to disease treatment & control by Simon Wilkinson. Marine Finfish Aquaculture Network meets in Vietnam. New APEC Project: Improving Coastal Livelihoods Through Sustainable Aquaculture Practices. Breeding and Seed Production of the Mangrove Red Snapper by Arnil C. Emata. APEC, FAO, NACA, and OIE enhance Capacity on Risk Analysis (IRA)in Aquatic Animal Movement in Asia-Pacific region by Melba Reantaso. Advice on Aquatic Animal Health: Questions & answers on drugs and chemicals by Pornlerd Chanratchakool. Responsible use of antibiotics in shrimp farming by Sara Graslund, Karin Karlsson and Janenuj Wongtavatchai. Molecular methods for rapid and specific detection of pathogens in seafood by Iddya Karunasagar, Indrani Karunasagar and H. Samath Kumar. Practical approaches to health management for cage cultured marine fishes by Leong Tak Seng

Design studies of infrastructural development for applications of hydrogen energy technologies

Countries around the world are trying to reduce their energy consumption, fossil fuel usage, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. According to the International Energy Outlook 2012 released by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), the estimated fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions standards proposed for light-duty vehicles for model years 2017-2025 has an increase of 44% in fuel economy and a reduction of 34% in GHG emissions. The use of alternative fuel vehicles and renewable energy sources are, therefore, inevitable toward achieving this goal. Biogas has untapped potential as an alternative energy source. This immediately available resource would allow countries to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption, and reliance on fossil fuels. This energy source is created by the anaerobic digestion of a feedstock. Sources for feedstock include organic and inorganic wastes, agricultural wastes, animal by-products, and industrial wastes, each a renewable energy source. A fuel cell can utilize the methane present in biogas using integrated heat, power, and hydrogen systems. A study was performed on both energy flow and resource availability to ascertain not only the type but also the source of feedstock needed to run a fuel cell system continuously while maintaining maximum capacity. A hydrogen fueling infrastructure was also created for the northeastern United States. The infrastructure is to be implemented between 2013 and 2025. The design itself gives priority to customer convenience with minimal additional investments. Extensive research has been done on a generating hydrogen supply from factories and other potential sources that can satisfy the demand in that region. Several markers (e.g., population density, traffic density, legislations, and growth patterns) have driven the process of estimation of the demand. --Abstract, page iv

Circular Economy in the Water and Wastewater Sector: Possibilities for the local production and sale of biogas and biochar to finance municipal treatment plant's operation and maintenance costs and enhance sustainability

This thesis aims to investigate the possibility of optimizing the sludge treatment process in a municipal wastewater treatment plant to produce biogas and biochar from bioresidues. The objective is to maximize the sales of these products to finance the operating and maintenance costs of the treatment plant or reduce the energy bill. The study involves a detailed review of literature and interviews to identify the best practices in sludge treatment and the potential for biogas and biochar production. Furthermore, the thesis considers the economic and environmental benefits of producing biogas and biochar, including their potential as renewable energy sources and soil amendments. The study also evaluates the feasibility of locally using the produced biogas and biochar, including the availability of local markets and the infrastructure required for transportation and distribution. Ultimately, this document provides a comprehensive picture of sludge as an important resource from a municipal water and wastewater treatment plant in terms of sustainability and economic viabilityThis thesis aims to investigate the possibility of optimizing the sludge treatment process in a municipal wastewater treatment plant to produce biogas and biochar from bioresidues. The objective is to maximize the sales of these products to finance the operating and maintenance costs of the treatment plant or reduce the energy bill. The study involves a detailed review of literature and interviews to identify the best practices in sludge treatment and the potential for biogas and biochar production. Furthermore, the thesis considers the economic and environmental benefits of producing biogas and biochar, including their potential as renewable energy sources and soil amendments. The study also evaluates the feasibility of locally using the produced biogas and biochar, including the availability of local markets and the infrastructure required for transportation and distribution. Ultimately, this document provides a comprehensive picture of sludge as an important resource from a municipal water and wastewater treatment plant in terms of sustainability and economic viabilit

Biomass Conversion Action Plan, October 24, 2018

Iowa is well positioned to lead the growth of the bioeconomy in the Midwest. However, a well-defined strategy is needed to take full advantage of the opportunities presented to the state. The primary need is an action plan to collectively and holistically address the broad range of environmental and economic topics associated with the biomass industry. The IEDA, in partnership with the Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT) and under the leadership of then Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds, released a new energy plan for the state of Iowa in late 2016. The Iowa Energy Plan was created to provide a clear path to ensure Iowans have access to affordable, reliable, sustainable energy, while recognizing energy’s strategic importance to Iowa’s economy. A key focus area identified in the plan is Iowa’s abundance of biomass with the potential to benefit economically and environmentally by further realizing the value-added attributes of biomass in the development of bioenergy, biofuels and biochemicals