Life cycle assessment (LCA) of production and processing in the food industry is an important tool for improving sustainability. Environmental assessment and management in the food industry reviews the advantages, challenges and different applications of LCA and related methods for environmental assessment, as well as key aspects of environmental management in this industry sector.Part one discusses the environmental impact of food production and processing, addressing issues such as nutrient management and water efficiency in agriculture. Chapters in Part two cover LCA methodology and challenges, with chapters focusing on different food industry sectors such as crop production, livestock and aquaculture. Part three addresses the applications of LCA and related approaches in the food industry, with chapters covering combining LCA with economic tools, ecodesign of food products and footprinting methods of assessment, among other topics. The final part of the book concentrates on environmental management in the food industry, including contributions on training, eco-labelling and establishing management systems.With its international team of editors and contributors, Environmental assessment and management in the food industry is an essential reference for anyone involved in environmental management in the food industry, and for those with an academic interest in sustainable food production. - Reviews the advantages, challenges and different applications of LCA and related methods for environmental assessment - Discusses the environmental impact of food production and processing, addressing issues such as nutrient management and water efficiency in agriculture - Examines environmental management in the food industry, including contributions on training, eco-labelling and establishing management systems

Showing how the method of sustainability assessment plays a key role in choosing the best agricultural productive mode, this book guides the reader through the process of selecting, from among the various approaches for building farming systems, the method of decision-making that will result in the most appropriate outcome, given the context. Case studies hail from polities as diverse as Portugal and Canada, Argentina and Lebanon. The work thus offers a valuable critical survey of the assessment methods that account for sustainability and economics, and which have developed considerably in the last two decades. The heterogeneous approaches covered here make this volume appropriate for consultation in a wide variety of social, political and geographical contexts.

Bringing together the research of 62 distinguished scientists in one volume, Environmental Contamination: Health Risks and Ecological Restoration offers a comprehensive view of the remediation of contaminated land. A one-stop resource, it covers historical and emerging contaminants, the issues of bioavailability of chemicals and their associated human health risks, and the latest remediation technologies. The book also contains numerous case studies, many of them drawn from the Asia-Pacific region, that look at the effects of rapid industrialization. The chapters are inspired by presentations and discussions held during the 2010 Croucher Advanced Study Institute workshop, entitled Remediation of Contaminated Land—Bioavailability and Health Risk. With the speed and scale of recent socioeconomic development, particularly in regions with less stringent environmental regulations, it is evident that various industrial activities have given rise to tremendous environmental degradation and severe health problems. The book begins with a description of current problems and future trends of pollutants, as well as their impact on the environment and human health. It then focuses on emerging contaminants, such as flame retardants and electronic waste. The book also examines research on environmentally friendly and sustainable solutions to remediate contaminated lands, exploring cutting-edge bioremediation and phytoremediation technologies. Chapters discuss arsenic biomethylation, copper homeostasis, microbial transformation of phthalate esters, the potential function of paddy fields in phytoremediation, the use of constructed wetlands for pollution control, phytostabilization of arsenic-contaminated sites, and more. This timely book provides readers with a highly focused reference on some of the most urgent environmental and health issues and research topics. These include e-waste recycling and arsenic and heavy metal contamination of rice—issues that are relevant for many countries around the 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.

Sustainable Food Processing Food processors face numerous challenges from ever-changing economic, social and environmental conditions. With global inequalities increasing, ingredient costs climbing, and global climate change becoming a major political issue, food producers must now address environmental concerns, social responsibility and economic viability when shaping their food processing techniques for the future. Food production, preservation and distribution contribute to greenhouse gas emissions from the agri-food sector, therefore food producers require detailed, industrially relevant information that addresses these challenges. The food industry, as one of the world’s largest users of energy, must embrace new ways of meeting the needs of the present without compromising future viability. It is important that the industry does not merely focus on simple indicators of sustainability that are relatively easy to calculate and hold appeal for governments and the public, but which do not properly address the many dimensions of sustainability. This book provides a comprehensive overview of both economic sustainability and the environmental concerns that relate to food processing. It is divided into four sections. Part one deals with principles and assessment of sustainability in the context of food processing; Part two summarises sustainability in various food processing applications within the food industry; Part three considers sustainability in food manufacturing operations that are vital in food production systems; and Part four addresses sustainable food distribution and consumption. As the most comprehensive reference book for industry to date, this book will provide engineers, educators, researchers, policy makers and scientists working in the food industry with a valuable resource for their work.

The Tenth International Conference on Ecosystems and Sustainable Development is the latest in a well established series that originated from the work of the late Nobel laureate, Ilya Prigogine, who challenged us to develop the science of "ecodynamics," integrating thermodynamics, ecology and economics. The papers presented at the conference, contained in this book, cover not only new research from all over the world related to ecological problems, but also new ideas and emerging concepts resulting from interdisciplinary efforts of scientists, engineers and economists. The included papers cover such topics as: Energy and the Environment; Environmental Indicators; Sustainable Development and Planning; Ecosystem Modelling; Natural Resources Management; Sustainable Development Studies; Waste Management; Soil Contamination and Recovery; Recovery of Damaged Areas; Protection and Mitigation; Sustainable Energy Systems; Economic and Benefit Analysis; Policies; Environmental Management; Climate Change and Adaptation; Forensic Analysis; Knowledge Dissemination; Social Responsibility; Environmental Monitoring and Assessment; Innovation in Environmental Management; Sustainable Indicators, Monitoring and Assessment; Natural Resources in Periurban Spaces; Territorial Risk Management.

The book presents an overview of the International practices and state-of-the-art of LCA studies in the agri-food sector, both in terms of adopted methodologies and application to particular products; the final purpose is to characterise and put order within the methodological issues connected to some important agri-food products (wine, olive oil, cereals and derived products, meat and fruit) and also defining practical guidelines for the implementation of LCAs in this particular sector. The first chapter entails an overview of the application of LCA to the food sector, the role of the different actors of the food supply chain and the methodological issues at a general level. The other chapters, each with a particular reference to the main foods of the five sectors under study, have a common structure which entails the review of LCA case studies of such agri-food products, the methodological issues, the ways with which they have been faced and the suggestion of practical guidelines.