This book covers the emerging applications of different computational and optimization techniques in order to achieve a sustainable agriculture. A sustainable agricultural management requires tools in providing integrated, area-specifi c, and interpreted prediction or forecasting and guidance in every aspect in agriculture.

Managing safety of diverse systems requires decision-making under uncertainties and risks. Such systems are typically characterized by spatio-temporal heterogeneities, inter-dependencies, externalities, endogenous risks, discontinuities, irreversibility, practically irreducible uncertainties, and rare events with catastrophic consequences. Traditional scientific approaches rely on data from real observations and experiments; yet no sufficient observations exist for new problems, and experiments are usually impossible. Therefore, science-based support for addressing such new class of problems needs to replace the traditional “deterministic predictions” analysis by new methods and tools for designing decisions that are robust against the involved uncertainties and risks. The new methods treat uncertainties explicitly by using “synthetic” information derived by integration of “hard” elements, including available data, results of possible experiments, and formal representations of scientific facts, with “soft” elements based on diverse representations of scenarios and opinions of public, stakeholders, and experts. The volume presents such effective new methods, and illustrates their applications in different problem areas, including engineering, economy, finance, agriculture, environment, and policy making.

Sustainable Food Systems from Agriculture to Industry: Improving Production and Processing addresses the principle that food supply needs of the present must be met without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Responding to sustainability goals requires maximum utilization of all raw materials produced and integration of activities throughout all production-to-consumption stages. This book covers production stage activities to reduce postharvest losses and increase use of by-products streams (waste), food manufacturing and beyond, presenting insights to ensure energy, water and other resources are used efficiently and environmental impacts are minimized. The book presents the latest research and advancements in efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly food production and ways they can be implemented within the food industry. Filling the knowledge gap between understanding and applying these advancements, this team of expert authors from around the globe offer both academic and industry perspectives and a real-world view of the challenges and potential solutions that exist for feeding the world in the future. The book will guide industry professionals and researchers in ways to improve the efficiency and sustainability of food systems. - Addresses why food waste recovery improves sustainability of food systems, how these issues can be adapted by the food industry, and the role of policy making in ensuring sustainable food production - Describes in detail the latest understanding of food processing, food production and waste reduction issues - Includes emerging topics, such as sustainable organic food production and computer aided process engineering - Analyzes the potential and sustainability of already commercialized processes and products

Traditional farming systems have dominated the agricultural sector for the past few centuries. However, the past few years have proven that new, non-traditional farming methods, such as passive and non-passive solar drying, are essential in the wake of diminishing food production globally. Optimizing the Use of Farm Waste and Non-Farm Waste to Increase Productivity and Food Security: Emerging Research and Opportunities is a crucial reference source that provides vital research on the application of enhanced productivity, flexibility, competitiveness, and sustainability within an individual farming enterprise to promote food security. While highlighting topics such as biogas production, food distribution network, and aquaculture diversification, this publication explores utilizing farm waste in a circular approach to optimize material utilization in a farming system to realize a zero-waste scenario and the methods individual farms can practice to operate sufficiently to become successful and contribute to the attainment of national food security. This book is ideally designed for policymakers, farmers, researchers, agriculture engineers, environmental engineers, and development specialists seeking current research on non-farm waste contributions as sources of raw materials.

Recent developments in computer science, data mining and big data analytics have resulted in new operational frameworks in agriculture, food and the environment, which in fact, share a strong link between them. A key challenge for researchers is to extract new data patterns and utilize them in decision making. Managers, policy makers, and practitioners have to be aware of these methodologies in order to establish efficient and effective working groups for the tasks to be resolved. The book reviews the complexity of the interrelationship between agriculture, food production and processing, and environmental issues. It also highlights the prospects of modeling in various cases of problem solving in these sectors, and reviews the new and future challenges. Consumer awareness in food production and processing practices is continually increasing and the necessity for advanced behavioural tools follows the same trend. Furthermore, the value chain management challenge is becoming one of the most crucial tasks due to the increased importance of new parameters like the origin of products, its environmental footprint and the enhancement of local production, etc. The book addresses these topics in a holistic approach, merging modeling with advanced marketing practices in a coherent and innovative manner, being an effective tool in a continuously demanding world.

Sustainability Challenges in the Agrofood Sector covers a wide range of agrofood-related concerns, including urban and rural agriculture and livelihoods, water-energy management, food and environmental policies, diet and human health. Significant and relevant research topics highlighting the most recent updates will be covered, with contributions from leading experts currently based in academia, government bodies and NGOs (see list of contributors below). Chapters will address the realities of sustainable agrofood, the issues and challenges at stake, and will propose and discuss novel approaches to these issues. This book will be the most up-to-date and complete work yet published on the topic, with new and hot topics covered as well as the core aspects and challenges of agrofood sustainability.