Search results for: sustainable and just food systems

Authors: Georgi Vendramin, Aurea Lúcia, Yamamoto, Carlos Itsuo, Souza Melegari, N. Samuel

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This article describes the development of a model that uses a method where openings are represented by single glass and double glass. The model is based on a healthy balance equations purely theoretical and empirical data. Simplified equations are derived through a synthesis of the measured data obtained from meteorological stations. The implementation of the model in a design tool integrated buildings is discussed in this article, to better punctuate the requirements of comfort and energy efficiency in architecture and engineering. Sustainability, energy efficiency, and the integration of alternative energy systems and concepts are beginning to be incorporated into designs for new buildings and renovations to existing buildings. Few means have existed to effectively validate the potential performance benefits of the design concepts. It was used a method of degree-days for an assessment of the energy performance of a building showed that the design of the architectural design should always be considered the materials used and the size of the openings. The energy performance was obtained through the model, considering the location of the building Central Park Shopping Mall, in the city of Cascavel - PR. Obtained climatic data of these locations and in a second step, it was obtained the coefficient of total heat loss in the building pre-established so evaluating the thermal comfort and energy performance. This means that the more openings in buildings in Cascavel – PR, installed to the east side, they may be higher because the glass added to the geometry of architectural spaces will cause the environment conserve energy.

Keywords: sustainable design, energy modeling, design validation, degree-days methods

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Authors: Ayşin Sev, Meltem Ezel

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Sustainability, being the urgent issue of our time, is closely related with the innovations in technology. Nanotechnology (NT), although not a new science, can be regarded relatively a new science for buildings with brand new materials and applications. This paper tends to give a research review of current and near future applications of nanotechnology (NT) for achieving high-performance and healthy buildings for a sustainable future. In the introduction, the driving forces for the sustainability of construction industry are explained. Then, the term NT is defined, and significance of innovations in NT for a sustainable construction industry is revealed. After presenting the application areas of NT and nanomaterials for buildings with a number of cases, challenges in the adoption of this technology are put forward, and finally the impacts of nanoparticles and nanomaterials on human health and environment are discussed.

Keywords: nanomaterial, self-healing concrete, self cleaning sensor, nanosensor, steel, wood, aerogel, flexible solar panel

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Authors: Mohamed Amine Ferhat, Mohamed Nadjib Bouhatem, Farid Chemat

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One of the principal aims of sustainable and green processing development remains the dissemination and teaching of green chemistry to both developed and developing nations. This paper describes one attempt to show that “north-south” collaborations yield innovative sustainable and green technologies which give major benefits for both nations. In this paper we present early results from a solvent free microwave extraction (SFME) of essential oils using fresh orange peel, a byproduct in the production of orange juice. SFME is performed at atmospheric pressure without added any solvent or water. SFME increases essential oil yield and eliminate wastewater treatment. The procedure is appropriate for the teaching laboratory, and allows the students to learn extraction, chromatographic and spectroscopic analysis skills, and are expose to dramatic visual example of rapid, sustainable and green extraction of essential oil, and are introduced to commercially successful sustainable and green chemical processing with microwave energy.

Keywords: essential oil, extraction, green processing, microwave

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Authors: Longondjo Etambakonga Clement

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Local municipality responsible for solid waste management (SWM) in many developing countries is facing real challenge. This is even more critical in the country facing political instability. Few decades ago, it has emerged new urban governance including partnerships and involvement of formal and informal actors for an effective and sustainable solid waste management. This paper identifies SWM actors and analyzes their roles to sustainable development in Kinshasa. An attempt has been to examine the challenges facing the actors in managing effectively waste in the city. The study is based on the empirical data gathered in the years 2009 and 2014 in Kinshasa using expert interviews, observation and documentation. The findings indicate that solid waste in the city is poorly managed, activities not coordinated and fragmented, as consequence severe public health and environmental problems. Five group actors are involved in SWM in the city including government, private business, NGOs/CBOs/donors, household, scavengers, in which, scavengers are more visible in collection and recycling activities. The results suggest that recognition of informal collectors and recyclers (scavengers) and strengthening alliances among all SWM stakeholders can lead to greater effective SWM in the city. The key lessons learned include lack of city’s SWM culture over SWM, unwillingness to pay and lack of environmental consciences are the main obstructions to sustainable SWM, therefore there is a need for social capital approach to empower individual and group actors as to create capabilities for an sustainable SWM.

Keywords: challenges, institutions, political instability, scavengers, solid waste management, sustainable development

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Authors: Romany Wagih Farag Zaky

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The relationship between development and human rights has long been the subject of academic debate. To understand the dynamics between these two concepts, various principles are adopted, from the right to development to development-based human rights. Despite the initiatives taken, the relationship between development and human rights remains unclear. However, the overlap between these two views and the idea that efforts should be made in the field of human rights have increased in recent years. It is then evaluated whether the right to sustainable development is acceptable or not. The article concludes that the principles of sustainable development are directly or indirectly recognized in various human rights instruments, which is a good answer to the question posed above. This book therefore cites regional and international human rights agreements such as , as well as the jurisprudence and interpretative guidelines of human rights institutions, to prove this hypothesis.

Keywords: sustainable development, human rights, the right to development, the human rights-based approach to development, environmental rights, economic development, social sustainability human rights protection, human rights violations, workers’ rights, justice, security

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Authors: masmoudi Jabri Khaoula, Zitouni Hana, Bousselmi Latifa, Akrout Hanen

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Mathematical modeling has become an essential tool for sustainable wastewater management, particularly for the simulation and the optimization of complex processes involved in activated sludge systems. In this context, the activated sludge model (ASM3h) was used for the simulation of a Biological Membrane Reactor (MBR) as it includes the integration of biological wastewater treatment and physical separation by membrane filtration. In this study, the MBR with a useful volume of 12.5 L was fed continuously with poultry slaughterhouse wastewater (PSWW) for 50 days at a feed rate of 2 L/h and for a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 6.25h. Throughout its operation, High removal efficiency was observed for the removal of organic pollutants in terms of COD with 84% of efficiency. Moreover, the MBR has generated a treated effluent which fits with the limits of discharge into the public sewer according to the Tunisian standards which were set in March 2018. In fact, for the nitrogenous compounds, average concentrations of nitrate and nitrite in the permeat reached 0.26±0.3 mg. L-1 and 2.2±2.53 mg. L-1, respectively. The simulation of the MBR process was performed using SIMBA software v 5.0. The state variables employed in the steady state calibration of the ASM3h were determined using physical and respirometric methods. The model calibration was performed using experimental data obtained during the first 20 days of the MBR operation. Afterwards, kinetic parameters of the model were adjusted and the simulated values of COD, N-NH4+and N- NOx were compared with those reported from the experiment. A good prediction was observed for the COD, N-NH4+and N- NOx concentrations with 467 g COD/m³, 110.2 g N/m³, 3.2 g N/m³ compared to the experimental data which were 436.4 g COD/m³, 114.7 g N/m³ and 3 g N/m³, respectively. For the validation of the model under dynamic simulation, the results of the experiments obtained during the second treatment phase of 30 days were used. It was demonstrated that the model simulated the conditions accurately by yielding a similar pattern on the variation of the COD concentration. On the other hand, an underestimation of the N-NH4+ concentration was observed during the simulation compared to the experimental results and the measured N-NO3 concentrations were lower than the predicted ones, this difference could be explained by the fact that the ASM models were mainly designed for the simulation of biological processes in the activated sludge systems. In addition, more treatment time could be required by the autotrophic bacteria to achieve a complete and stable nitrification. Overall, this study demonstrated the effectiveness of mathematical modeling in the prediction of the performance of the MBR systems with respect to organic pollution, the model can be further improved for the simulation of nutrients removal for a longer treatment period.

Keywords: activated sludge model (ASM3h), membrane bioreactor (MBR), poultry slaughter wastewater (PSWW), reuse

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Authors: Preetham Shankapal, Jill King, Kori Murray, Corby Martin, Paula Giselman, Jason Hicks, Owen Carmicheal

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Activation of reward and satiety networks in the brain while processing palatable food cues, as well as functional connectivity during rest has been studied using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the brain in various obesity phenotypes. However, functional connectivity within the reward and satiety network during food cue processing is understudied. 14 obese individuals underwent two fMRI scans during viewing of Macronutrient Picture System images. Each scan included two blocks of images of High Sugar/High Fat (HSHF), High Carbohydrate/High Fat (HCHF), Low Sugar/Low Fat (LSLF) and also non-food images. Seed voxels within seven food reward relevant ROIs: Insula, putamen and cingulate, precentral, parahippocampal, medial frontal and superior temporal gyri were isolated based on a prior meta-analysis. Beta series correlation for task-related functional connectivity between these seed voxels and the rest of the brain was computed. Voxel-level differences in functional connectivity were calculated between: first and the second scan; individuals who saw novel (N=7) vs. Repeated (N=7) images in the second scan; and between the HC/HF, HSHF blocks vs LSLF and non-food blocks. Computations and analysis showed that during food image viewing, reward network ROIs showed significant functional connectivity with each other and with other regions responsible for attentional and motor control, including inferior parietal lobe and precentral gyrus. These functional connectivity values were heightened among individuals who viewed novel HS/HF images in the second scan. In the second scan session, functional connectivity was reduced within the reward network but increased within attention, memory and recognition regions, suggesting habituation to reward properties and increased recollection of previously viewed images. In conclusion it can be inferred that Functional Connectivity within reward network and between reward and other brain regions, varies by important experimental conditions during food photography viewing, including habituation to shown foods.

Keywords: fMRI, functional connectivity, task-based, beta series correlation

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Authors: Ergün Şakalar, Şeyma Özçirak Ergün

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Pistachio nuts, the fruits of the pistachio tree (Pistacia vera), are edible tree nuts highly valued for their organoleptic properties. Pistachio nuts used in snack foods, chocolates, baklava, meat products, ice-cream industries and other gourmet products as ingredients. Undeclared pistachios may be present in food products as a consequence of fraudulent substitution. Control of food samples is very important for safety and fraud. Mix of pistachio, peanut (Arachis hypogaea), pea (Pisum sativum L.) used instead of pistachio in food products, because pistachio is a considerably expensive nut. To solve this problem, a sensitive polymerase chain reaction PCR has been developed. A real-time PCR assay for the detection of pea, peanut and pistachio in baklava was designed by using EvaGreen fluorescence dye. Primers were selected from powerful regions for identification of pea, peanut and pistachio. DNA from reference samples and industrial products were successfully extracted with the GIDAGEN® Multi-Fast DNA Isolation Kit. Genomes were identified based on their specific melting peaks (Mp) which are 77°C, 85.5°C and 82.5°C for pea, peanut and pistachio, respectively. Homogenized mixtures of raw pistachio, pea and peanut were prepared with the ratio of 0.01%, 0.1%, 1%, 10%, 40% and 70% of pistachio. Quantitative detection limit of assay was 0.1% for pistachio. Also, real-time PCR technique used in this study allowed the qualitative detection of as little as 0.001% level of peanut DNA, 0,000001% level of pistachio DNA and 0.000001% level of pea DNA in the experimental admixtures. This assay represents a potentially valuable diagnostic method for detection of nut species adulterated with pistachio as well as for highly specific and relatively rapid detection of small amounts of pistachio in food samples.

Keywords: pea, peanut, pistachio, real-time PCR

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Authors: Oliwia Bator

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The subject of this description is phraseologisms with the component “spices and food additives component" in Polish and Russian. The purpose of the study is to analyze the phraseologisms from the point of view of lexis and semantics. The material for analysis was extracted from Phraseological Dictionaries of Polish and Russian. The phraseologisms were considered from the lexical point of view, taking into account the name of the " spices and food additives" component, which forms them. From the semantic point of view, 12 semantic groups of phraseologisms were separated in Polish, while 9 semantic groups were separated in Russian. In addition is shown their functioning in the contexts of contemporary Polish and Russian. The contexts were taken from the National Corpus of the Polish Language and the National Corpus of the Russian Language.

Keywords: phraseology, language, slavic studies, linguistics

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Authors: Rui Lança, Elisa Silva, Fátima Farinha, Miguel José Oliveira, Manuel Duarte Pinheiro, Cátia Miguel

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Tourism has a great potential to bring up progress across the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). If well managed and monitored, the tourism sector can create quality jobs, reduce poorness and offer incentives for environmental preservation, helping on the transition towards more inclusive and resilient economies. However, without proper safeguards and investments, expansion of the tourism market will increase pressure on biodiversity and the ecosystems on which the livelihoods of local communities depend. Competitivity is a key dimension in tourism, sustainable tourism challenge new dimensions to competitivity, namely environmental, social, institutional and economic achieve a medium and long-term competitivity. It is undoubtedly clear on the tourism sector, the importance of the region sustainability in the current touristic destinations offer. The basis of a tourism region prosperity will depend on /of it. The OBSERVE project intends to be an instrument for monitoring and evaluating the sustainability levels of the Algarve region. Its main objective is to provide environmental, economic, social-cultural and institutional indicators to support the decision-making process for a sustainable growth of the region. The project´s main goal is a digital portal with the most relevant indicators to allow evaluating and communicating the performance of the region in a sustainable growth perspective. This paper presents the OBSERVE project and highlights the potential contribution to a broad perspective of competitivity and its contribution for different stakeholders and the touristic value chain. Limitations and opportunities are also discussed.

Keywords: sustainable tourism, competitivity, OBSERVE project, Algarve region

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Authors: Henry Lau, Dilupa Nakandala, Li Zhao

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All along the length of the supply chain, fresh food firms face the challenge of managing both product quality, due to the perishable nature of the products, and product cost. This paper develops a method to assist logistics managers upstream in the fresh food supply chain in making cost optimized decisions regarding transportation, with the objective of minimizing the total cost while maintaining the quality of food products above acceptable levels. Considering the case of multiple fresh food products collected from multiple farms being transported to a warehouse or a retailer, this study develops a total cost model that includes various costs incurred during transportation. The practical application of the model is illustrated by using several computational intelligence approaches including Genetic Algorithms (GA), Fuzzy Genetic Algorithms (FGA) as well as an improved Simulated Annealing (SA) procedure applied with a repair mechanism for efficiency benchmarking. We demonstrate the practical viability of these approaches by using a simulation study based on pertinent data and evaluate the simulation outcomes. The application of the proposed total cost model was demonstrated using three approaches of GA, FGA and SA with a repair mechanism. All three approaches are adoptable; however, based on the performance evaluation, it was evident that the FGA is more likely to produce a better performance than the other two approaches of GA and SA. This study provides a pragmatic approach for supporting logistics and supply chain practitioners in fresh food industry in making important decisions on the arrangements and procedures related to the transportation of multiple fresh food products to a warehouse from multiple farms in a cost-effective way without compromising product quality. This study extends the literature on cold supply chain management by investigating cost and quality optimization in a multi-product scenario from farms to a retailer and, minimizing cost by managing the quality above expected quality levels at delivery. The scalability of the proposed generic function enables the application to alternative situations in practice such as different storage environments and transportation conditions.

Keywords: cost optimization, food supply chain, fuzzy sets, genetic algorithms, product quality, transportation

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Authors: Nguyen Thi Thu Trang

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Climate change and sea level rise is one of the greatest challenges facing human beings in the 21st century. Because of sea level rise, several low-lying coastal areas around the globe are at risk of being completely submerged, disappearing under water. Particularly in Viet Nam, the rise in sea level is predicted to result in more frequent and even permanently inundated coastal plains. As a result, land reserving fund of coastal cities is going to be narrowed in near future, while construction ground is becoming increasingly limited due to a rapid growth in population. Faced with this reality, the solutions are being discussed not only in tradition view such as accommodation is raised or moved to higher areas, or “living with the water”, but also forwards to “living on the water”. Therefore, the concept of a sustainable floating community with floating houses based on the precious value of long term historical tradition of water dwellings in Viet Nam would be a sustainable solution for adaptation of climate change and sea level rise in the coastal areas. The sustainable floating community is comprised of sustainability in four components: architecture, environment, socio-economic and living quality. This research paper is focused on sustainability in architectural component of floating community. Through detailed architectural analysis of current floating houses and floating communities in Viet Nam, this research not only accumulates precious values of traditional architecture that need to be preserved and developed in the proposed concept, but also illustrates its weaknesses that need to address for optimal design of the future sustainable floating communities. Based on these studies the research would provide guidelines with appropriate architectural solutions for the concept of sustainable floating community with floating housing units that are adapted to climate change and sea level rise in Viet Nam.

Keywords: guidelines, sustainable floating community, floating houses, Vietnam

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Authors: Eduwin Eko Franjaya, Yesi Hendriani Supartoyo

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Integrated farming with LEISA concept as one of the systems or sustainable farming techniques in agriculture has provided opportunities to increase farmers' income. This system also has a positive impact on the environment. However, the development of integrated farming is still on a small scale/site scale. Development on a larger scale is necessary considering to the number of potential resources in the village that can be integrated each other. The aim of this research is to develop an integrated farming landscape on small scale that has been done in previous study, into the village scale. The method used in this study follows the rules of scientific planning in landscape architecture. The initial phase begins with an inventory of the existing condition of the village, by conducting a survey. The second stage is analysis of potential and constraints in the village based on the results of a survey that has been done before. The next stage is concept-making that consists of basic concept, design concept, and development concept. The basic concept is integrated farming based on LEISA. The design concept is based on commodities that are developed in the village. The development concept consists of space concept, circulation concept, the concept of vegetation and commodities, and the concept of the production system. The last stage is planning process which produces Site Plan based on LEISA on village scale. Site Plan is also the end product of this research. The results of this research are expected to increase the income and welfare of the farmers in the village, and can be develop into a tourism area of integrated farming.

Keywords: integrated farming, LEISA, site plan, sustainable agriculture

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Authors: Waqar Un Nisa Faizi, Anila Fatima Shakil, Wilayat Bibi, Sajjad Hayat Akhtar

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This study will discuss the sustainable opportunities regarding educational facilities provided to the children of imprisoned women in the different jails of Pakistan particularly in Central Jail of Karachi. It will also discuss the importance of educational facilities which are required for the mental and personal growth of the children as education has the capability to enhance the general knowledge and the personality of any individual. Education is extremely important for the children whether they live in a society or in prison, because they are the future of any country. Therefore, the point of discussion in this paper will be the provision of educational facilities and sustainable opportunities regarding these facilities to the children of imprisoned women in Karachi and other countries of the world.

Keywords: imprisoned, educational facilities, criminal activities, positive atmosphere

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Authors: Godwin A. Otogo, Sansanee Wangvoralak, Graham J. Pierce, Lee C. Hastie, Beth Scott

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The squid Loligo forbesii is suspected to be an important species in marine food webs, as it can strongly impact its prey and be impacted upon by predation, competition, fishing and/or climate variability. To quantify these impacts in the food web, the measurement of its trophic position and ecological role within well-studied ecosystems is essential. An Ecopath model was balanced and run for the Moray Firth ecosystem and was used to investigate the significance of this squid’s trophic roles. The network analysis routine included in Ecopath with Ecosim (EwE) was used to estimate trophic interaction, system indicators (health condition and developmental stage) and food web features. Results indicated that within the Moray Firth squid occupy a top trophic position in the food web and also a major prey item for many other species. Results from Omnivory Index (OI) showed that squid is a generalized feeder transferring energy across wide trophic levels and is more important as a predator than that as a prey in the Moray Firth ecosystem. The results highlight the importance of taking squid into account in the management of Europe’s living marine resources.

Keywords: Squid, Loligo forbesii, Ecopath, Moray Firth, Trophic level

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Authors: Daniel Angwenyi

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Relationships between protected area managers and adjacent communities, as well as communities' attitudes, views and perceptions of these areas, are critical for the success of conservation efforts. It is, therefore, of utmost importance for protected area managers and administrators understand how local communities view these areas and their management, so that they can build sustainable working relationships. This paper is based on a survey of 375 semi-structured questionnaires administered to household heads, living at distances ranging from the edge of the reserves to 50 km away from the reserve boundary across Great Fish River, Mkambati, Hluleka, and Tsolwana in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. The paper provides a longitudinal assessment of households’ knowledge on the role of reserves and how the reserves. In addition to households’ knowledge, the paper also provides an assessment of their attitudes towards the location and management, as well as views on the best way to manage the reserves. For 79% of community members reserves are important as they were seen to conserve biodiversity and valuable ecological systems necessary for sustaining life. Most (75%) respondents indicated that closely located reserves gave them opportunities to learn about nature conservation and to subsidize their incomes through tourism ventures. However, 58% had a problem with reserves’ staff, due to restrictions on resource use, which negatively impacted their livelihoods. Over half (51%) of the households were of the view that sustainable conservation can only be achieved through an integrated approach, where local communities’ and conservation needs are given equal weighting. Thus, it is concluded that reserve management should look at communities as active partners in the running of protected areas if sustainable conservation objectives are to be realised.

Keywords: nature conservation, conservation knowledge, local communities, views, protected areas

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Authors: Delgado-Meza M., Minor-Pérez H.

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Protease is the generic name of enzymes that hydrolyze proteins. These are classified in the subgroup EC3.4.11-99X of the classification enzymes. In food technology the proteolysis is used to modify functional and nutritional properties of food, and in some cases this proteolysis may cause food spoilage. In general, seafood and rainbow trout have accelerated decomposition process once it has done its capture, due to various factors such as the endogenous enzymatic activity that can result in loss of structure, shape and firmness, besides the release of amino acid precursors of biogenic amines. Some studies suggest the use of protease inhibitors from legume as biological regulators of proteolytic activity. The enzyme inhibitors are any substance that reduces the rate of a reaction catalyzed by an enzyme. The objective of this study was to evaluate the reduction of the proteolytic activity of enzymes in extracts of rainbow trout with protease inhibitors obtained from chickpea flour. Different proportions of rainbow trout enzyme extract (75%, 50% and 25%) and extract chickpea enzyme inhibitors were evaluated. Chickpea inhibitors were obtained by mixing 5 g of flour in 30 mL of pH 7.0 phosphate buffer. The sample was centrifuged at 8000 rpm for 10 min. The supernatant was stored at -15°C. Likewise, 20 g of rainbow trout were ground in 20 mL of phosphate buffer solution at pH 7.0 and the mixture was centrifuged at 5000 rpm for 20 min. The supernatant was used for the study. In each treatment was determined the specific enzymatic activity with the technique of Kunitz, using hemoglobin as substrate for the enzymes acid fraction and casein for basic enzymes. Also biuret protein was quantified for each treatment. The results showed for fraction of basic enzymes in the treatments evaluated, that were inhibition of endogenous enzymatic activity. Inhibition values compared to control were 51.05%, 56.59% and 59.29% when the proportions of endogenous enzymes extract rainbow trout were 75%, 50% and 25% and the remaining volume used was extract with inhibitors. Treatments with acid enzymes showed no reduction in enzyme activity. In conclusion chickpea flour reduced the endogenous enzymatic activity of rainbow trout, which may favor its application to increase the half-life of this food. The authors acknowledge the funding provided by the CONACYT for the project 131998.

Keywords: rainbouw trout, enzyme inhibitors, proteolysis, enzyme activity

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Authors: Raymond Ezenweani, Jeffrey Ogbebor

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The menace of aquatic pollution has become increasingly of great concern and the effects of this pollution as a result of anthropogenic activities cannot be over emphasized. Phycoremediation is the application of algal remediation technology in the removal of harmful products from the environment. Harmful products also known as pollutants are usually introduced into the environment through variety of processes such as industrial discharge, agricultural runoff, flooding, and acid rain. This work has to do with the capability of algae in the efficient removal of different pollutants, ranging from hydrocarbons, eutrophication, agricultural chemicals and wastes, heavy metals, foul smell from septic tanks or dumps through different processes such as bioconversion, biosorption, bioabsorption and biodecomposition. Algae are capable of bioconversion of environmentally persistent compounds to degradable compounds and also capable of putting harmful bacteria growth into check in waste water remediation. Numerous algal organisms such as Nannochloropsis spp, Chlorella spp, Tetraselmis spp, Shpaerocystics spp, cyanobacteria and different macroalgae have been tested by different researchers in laboratory scale and shown to have 100% efficiency in environmental remediation. Algae as a result of their photosynthetic capacity are also efficient in air cleansing and management of global warming by sequestering carbon iv oxide in air and converting it into organic carbon, thereby making food available for the other organisms in the higher trophic level of the aquatic food chain. Algae play major role in the sustenance of the aquatic ecosystem by their virtue of being photosynthetic. They are the primary producers and their role in environmental sustainability is remarkable.

Keywords: Algae , Pollutant, ., Phycoremediation, Aquatic, Sustainability

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Authors: Saira Naeem, Rana Muhammad Ayyub

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The main objective of this study is to empirically study the antecedents of perceptions of non-Muslim consumers towards Halal foods. The questionnaire survey was conducted through surveymonkey.com from non-Muslims (n=222) of USA. The validated scales of knowledge about Halal foods, animal welfare concerns, acculturation and perception about Halal foods were adopted after necessary adaptation as measures. The structural equation modelling (SEM) approach was used to study the structural model. It was found that Knowledge about Halal foods and ongoing acculturation among non-Muslims has a positive effect on perception about Halal food whereas; animal welfare concerns have negative effect on it. Furthermore, the acculturation has moderating effects but it was found non-significant. It is recommended that Halal food marketers should increase their efforts to educate customers by updating their knowledge about it. Furthermore, it is recommended that the non-Muslim consumers must be apprised of the fact that their animal welfare concerns are adequately addressed while Halal food production and supply chain. Online data collection is the only limitation of this study. This study will guide the Halal marketers of western countries about how to market the Halal food products and services to serve the non-Muslim customers.

Keywords: non-Muslims, consumer perceptions, animal welfare concerns, acculturation, knowledge about Halal

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Authors: Mahesh Chandra Paliwal, Ajay Kumar Jain

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Supervisors working in the industries must have the knowledge and skills for performing their job for environmental protection and sustainable development. A survey of thirty industries was conducted to know the roles of supervisors related to environmental protection and sustainable development. A questionnaire was prepared based on the discussion with the environmental experts. The findings of the study show that supervisors must be aware of practices followed for good housekeeping, water management, waste management, maintenance of effluent treatment plants, monitoring pollution control level to perform their job to save the environment. These aspects must be incorporated in diploma curriculum so that the diploma pass outs may use this knowledge and skills in the industries.

Keywords: environmental protection, sustainable development, water management, waste management, curriculum

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Authors: Kathy Pain, Nalumino Akakandelwa

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The study explores the potential to fill a gap in health and wellbeing evidence for purposeful urban real estate asset management to make investment a powerful force for societal good. Part of a five-year programme investigating the root causes of unhealthy urban development funded by the United Kingdom Prevention Research Partnership (UKPRP), the study pilots the use of a systems mapping approach to identify drivers and barriers to the incorporation of health and wellbeing evidence in urban brownfield asset management decision-making. Urban real estate not only provides space for economic production but also contributes to the quality of life in the local community. Yet market approaches to urban land use have, until recently, insisted that neo-classical technology-driven efficient allocation of economic resources should inform acquisition, operational, and disposal decisions. Buildings in locations with declining economic performance have thus been abandoned, leading to urban decay. Property investors are recognising the inextricable connection between sustainable urban production and quality of life in local communities. The redevelopment and operation of brownfield assets recycle existing buildings, minimising embodied carbon emissions. It also retains established urban spaces with which local communities identify and regenerate places to create a sense of security, economic opportunity, social interaction, and quality of life. Social implications of urban real estate on health and wellbeing and increased adoption of benign sustainability guidance in urban production are driving the need to consider how they affect brownfield real estate asset management decisions. Interviews with real estate upstream decision-makers in the study, find that local social needs and impact analysis is becoming a commercial priority for large-scale urban real estate development projects. Evidence of the social value-added of proposed developments is increasingly considered essential to secure local community support and planning permissions, and to attract sustained inward long-term investment capital flows for urban projects. However, little is known about the contribution of population health and wellbeing to socially sustainable urban projects and the monetary value of the opportunity this presents to improve the urban environment for local communities. We report early findings from collaborations with two leading property companies managing major investments in brownfield urban assets in the UK to consider how the inclusion of health and wellbeing evidence in social valuation can inform perceptions of brownfield development social benefit for asset managers, local communities, public authorities and investors for the benefit of all parties. Using holistic case studies and systems mapping approaches, we explore complex relationships between public health considerations and asset management decisions in urban production. Findings indicate a strong real estate investment industry appetite and potential to include health as a vital component of sustainable real estate social value creation in asset management strategies.

Keywords: brownfield urban assets, health and wellbeing, social needs and impact, social valuation, sustainable real estate, systems mapping

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Authors: S. Pushkar, O. Verbitsky

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Currently, green rating systems are mainly utilized for correctly sizing mechanical and electrical systems, which have short lifetime expectancies. In these systems, passive solar and bio-climatic architecture, which have long lifetime expectancies, are neglected. Urban rating systems consider buildings and services in addition to neighborhoods and public transportation as integral parts of the built environment. The main goal of this study was to develop a more consistent point allocation system for urban building standards by using six different lifetime shearing layers: Site, Structure, Skin, Services, Space, and Stuff, each reflecting distinct environmental damages. This shearing-layer concept was applied to internationally well-known rating systems: Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for Neighborhood Development, BRE Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) for Communities, and Comprehensive Assessment System for Building Environmental Efficiency (CASBEE) for Urban Development. The results showed that LEED for Neighborhood Development and BREEAM for Communities focused on long-lifetime-expectancy building designs, whereas CASBEE for Urban Development gave equal importance to the Building and Service Layers. Moreover, although this rating system was applied using a building-scale assessment, “Urban Area + Buildings” focuses on a short-lifetime-expectancy system design, neglecting to improve the architectural design by considering bio-climatic and passive solar aspects.

Keywords: green rating system, urban community, sustainable design, standardization, shearing-layer concept, passive solar architecture

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Authors: Cherouk Amr Yassin

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This study aims to provide insight into consumer decision-making, which has become very complicated to understand and predict in the existing world of sustainable development. The deficiency of a good understanding of the tourist's perception and attitude toward sustainable development in the tourism industry may impede the ability of organizations to build a sustainable marketing orientation and may negatively influence predicted consumer response. Therefore, this research paper adds further insights into the attitude toward recommended eco-friendly hotel advertisements and their effect on the purchase intention of eco-friendly services. Structural equational modeling was completed to realize the effects of the variables under investigation. The findings revealed that consumer decision-making in choosing eco-friendly hotels is affected by the positive attitude toward sustainable development ads, influenced by informativeness and credibility as values perceived by eco-friendly hotels. This study provides practical implications for tourism, marketers, hotel managers, promoters, and consumers.

Keywords: attitude, consumer behavior, consumer decision making, eco-friendly hotels, perception, the tourism industry

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Authors: Erika T. Fajardo-Ariza, Luis A. Castillo-Sanabria, Andrea Nieto-Veloza, Carlos M. Zuluaga-Domínguez

Abstract:

The growing emphasis on sustainable food production and preservation has driven the development of innovative solutions to minimize postharvest losses and improve market access for small-scale farmers. This project focuses on designing, constructing, and selecting materials for solar dryers in certain regions of Colombia where inadequate infrastructure limits access to major commercial hubs. Postharvest losses pose a significant challenge, impacting food security and farmer income. Addressing these losses is crucial for enhancing the value of agricultural products and supporting local economies. A comprehensive survey of local farmers revealed substantial challenges, including limited market access, inefficient transportation, and significant postharvest losses. For crops such as coffee, bananas, and citrus fruits, losses range from 0% to 50%, driven by factors like labor shortages, adverse climatic conditions, and transportation difficulties. To address these issues, the project prioritized selecting effective materials for the solar dryer. Various materials, recovered acrylic, original acrylic, glass, and polystyrene, were tested for their performance. The tests showed that recovered acrylic and glass were most effective in increasing the temperature difference between the interior and the external environment. The solar dryer was designed using Fusion 360® software (Autodesk, USA) and adhered to architectural guidelines from Architectural Graphic Standards. It features up to sixteen aluminum trays, each with a maximum load capacity of 3.5 kg, arranged in two levels to optimize drying efficiency. The constructed dryer was then tested with two locally available plant materials: green plantains (Musa paradisiaca L.) and snack bananas (Musa AA Simonds). To monitor performance, Thermo hygrometers and an Arduino system recorded internal and external temperature and humidity at one-minute intervals. Despite challenges such as adverse weather conditions and delays in local government funding, the active involvement of local producers was a significant advantage, fostering ownership and understanding of the project. The solar dryer operated under conditions of 31°C dry bulb temperature (Tbs), 55% relative humidity, and 21°C wet bulb temperature (Tbh). The drying curves showed a consistent drying period with critical moisture content observed between 200 and 300 minutes, followed by a sharp decrease in moisture loss, reaching an equilibrium point after 3,400 minutes. Although the solar dryer requires more time and is highly dependent on atmospheric conditions, it can approach the efficiency of an electric dryer when properly optimized. The successful design and construction of solar dryer systems in difficult-to-access areas represent a significant advancement in agricultural sustainability and postharvest loss reduction. By choosing effective materials such as recovered acrylic and implementing a carefully planned design, the project provides a valuable tool for local farmers. The initiative not only improves the quality and marketability of agricultural products but also offers broader environmental benefits, such as reduced reliance on fossil fuels and decreased waste. Additionally, it supports economic growth by enhancing the value of crops and potentially increasing farmer income. The successful implementation and testing of the dryer, combined with the engagement of local stakeholders, highlight its potential for replication and positive impact in similar contexts.

Keywords: drying technology, postharvest loss reduction, solar dryers, sustainable agriculture

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Authors: Reihaneh Rafiemanzelat, Maryam Baradaran

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Creating healthy communities that are sustainable and livable is a desire of policy makers in European countries. Indicators have used at the level of international, national, state to evaluate the level of health in cities and regions. Therefore, there are many challenges in the assumption of health and planning indicators. This research provides an overview of health indicators used to date in Europe according to World Health Organization (WHO) strategy. It then discusses on how indicators have been successful to the creation of healthy, livable and sustainable cities in Europe. This research is based on qualitative research to review the documentary researches on health issue and urban planning. The result will show the positive and negative effects of in process indicators on European cities.

Keywords: healthy community, livability, sustainability, WHO strategy

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Authors: Mohammad Javad Seddighi, Avar Almukhtar

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Sustainable urban planning and design (SUPD) play a critical role in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). While there are many rating systems and standards available to assess the sustainability of the built environment, there is still a lack of a comprehensive framework that can assess the quality of SUPD in a specific context. In this paper, we present a framework for assessing the quality of SUPD in Iranian cities, considering their unique cultural, social, and environmental contexts. The aim of this study is to develop a framework for assessing the quality of SUPD in Iranian cities. To achieve this aim, the following objectives are pursued review and synthesis of relevant literature on SUPD, identification of key indicators and criteria for assessing the quality of SUPD in Iranian cities application of the framework to case studies of Iranian cities and evaluation and refinement of the framework based on the results of the case studies. The framework is developed based on a review and synthesis of relevant literature on SUPD, and the identification of key indicators and criteria for assessing the quality of SUPD in Iranian cities. The framework is then applied to case studies of Iranian cities and the results are evaluated and refined. The data for this study are collected through a review of relevant literature on SUPD, including academic journals, conference proceedings, and books. The case studies of Iranian cities are selected based on their relevance and availability of data. The data are collected through interviews, site visits, and document analysis. This paper presents a framework for assessing the quality of SUPD in Iranian cities. The framework is developed based on a review and synthesis of relevant literature, identification of key indicators and criteria, application to case studies, and evaluation and refinement. The framework provides a comprehensive and context-specific approach to assessing the quality of SUPD in Iranian cities. It can be used by urban planners, designers, and policymakers to improve the sustainability and liveability of Iranian cities, and it can be adapted for use in other contexts.

Keywords: sustainable urban planning and design, framework, quality assessment, Iranian cities, case studies

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Authors: Jessica Achebe, Susan Tighe

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The recent Canadian infrastructure report card reveals the unhealthy state of municipal infrastructure intensified challenged faced by municipalities to maintain adequate infrastructure performance thresholds and meet user’s required service levels. For a road agency, huge funding gap issue is inflated by growing concerns of the environmental repercussion of road construction, operation and maintenance activities. As the reduction of material consumption and greenhouse gas emission when maintain and rehabilitating road networks can achieve added benefits including improved life cycle performance of pavements, reduced climate change impacts and human health effect due to less air pollution, improved productivity due to optimal allocation of resources and reduced road user cost. Incorporating environmental sustainability measure into pavement management is solution widely cited and studied. However measuring the environmental performance of road network is still a far-fetched practice in road network management, more so an ostensive agency-wide environmental sustainability or sustainable maintenance specifications is missing. To address this challenge, this present research focuses on the environmental sustainability performance of network-level pavement management. The ultimate goal is to develop a framework to incorporate environmental sustainability in pavement management systems for network-level maintenance programming. In order to achieve this goal, this study reviewed previous studies that employed environmental performance measures, as well as the suitability of environmental performance indicators for the evaluation of the sustainability of network-level pavement maintenance strategies. Through an industry practice survey, this paper provides a brief forward regarding the pavement manager motivations and barriers to making more sustainable decisions, and data needed to support the network-level environmental sustainability. The trends in network-level sustainable pavement management are also presented, existing gaps are highlighted, and ideas are proposed for sustainable network-level pavement management.

Keywords: pavement management, sustainability, network-level evaluation, environment measures

Procedia PDF Downloads 212

Authors: Andrés Durán, Brian Castellanos, Marta Quicazán, Carlos Zuluaga-Domínguez

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Bee-pollen is an apicultural-derived food product, with a growing appreciation among consumers given the remarkable nutritional and functional composition, in particular, protein (24%), dietary fiber (15%), phenols (15 – 20 GAE/g) and carotenoids (600 – 900 µg/g). These properties are given by the geographical and climatic characteristics of the region where it is collected. There are several countries recognized by their pollen production, e.g. China, United States, Japan, Spain, among others. Beekeepers use traps in the entrance of the hive where bee-pollen is collected. After the removal of foreign particles and drying, this product is ready to be marketed. However, in countries located along the equator, the absence of seasons and a constant tropical climate throughout the year favors a more rapid spoilage condition for foods with elevated water activity. The climatic conditions also trigger the proliferation of microorganisms and insects. This, added to the factor that beekeepers usually do not have adequate processing systems for bee-pollen, leads to deficiencies in the quality and safety of the product. In contrast, the Andean region of South America, lying on equator, typically has a high production of bee-pollen of up to 36 kg/year/hive, being four times higher than in countries with marked seasons. This region is also located in altitudes superior to 2500 meters above sea level, having extremes sun ultraviolet radiation all year long. As a mechanism of defense of radiation, plants produce more secondary metabolites acting as antioxidant agents, hence, plant products such as bee-pollen contain remarkable more phenolics and carotenoids than collected in other places. Considering this, the improvement of bee-pollen processing facilities by technical modifications and the implementation of an integrated cleaning and drying system for the product in an apiary in the area was proposed. The beehives were modified through the installation of alternative bee-pollen traps to avoid sources of contamination. The processing facility was modified according to considerations of Good Manufacturing Practices, implementing the combined use of a cabin dryer with temperature control and forced airflow and a greenhouse-type solar drying system. Additionally, for the separation of impurities, a cyclone type system was implemented, complementary to a screening equipment. With these modifications, a decrease in the content of impurities and the microbiological load of bee-pollen was seen from the first stages, principally with a reduction of the presence of molds and yeasts and in the number of foreign animal origin impurities. The use of the greenhouse solar dryer integrated to the cabin dryer allowed the processing of larger quantities of product with shorter waiting times in storage, reaching a moisture content of about 6% and a water activity lower than 0.6, being appropriate for the conservation of bee-pollen. Additionally, the contents of functional or nutritional compounds were not affected, even observing an increase of up to 25% in phenols content and a non-significant decrease in carotenoids content and antioxidant activity.

Keywords: beekeeping, drying, food processing, food safety

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Authors: María Rojo Granados

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This work presents an empirical investigation of the performance of pink and purple petunia petals and orange and red geranium petals on a linen fabric using the Eco Print technique. This theoretical and practical approach represents an advance in the textile world towards sustainable dyeing and printing methods. It is understood that the possibility of mass printing or dyeing through these methods in fashion is complex, but it can be an approach toward a more sustainable industry. The research consists of twenty-two empirical tests where different processes and methods are applied and explained at different temperatures and using different mordants. The test results allow the selection of which printing and dyeing methods can be applied to the fashion industry in an environmentally consistent way.

Keywords: dyeing, empirical tests, petals, performance, printing, sustainably

Procedia PDF Downloads 109

Authors: Cassi Henderson, Lucia Corsini, Shiv Kapila, Egle Augustaityte, Tsemaye Uwejamomere Zinzan Gurney, Aleyna Yildirim

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Plastic pollution is a major threat to human and planetary health. In Low- and Middle-Income Countries, plastic waste poses a major problem for marginalized populations who lack access to formal waste management systems. This study explores the potential for converting waste plastic into construction blocks. It is the first study to analyze the use of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) as a binder in plastic-sand bricks. Unlike previous studies of plastic sand-bricks, this research tests the properties of bricks that were made using a low-cost kiln technology that was co-designed with a rural, coastal community in Kenya.  The mechanical strength, resistance to fire and water absorption properties of the bricks are tested in this study. The findings show that the bricks meet structural standards for mechanical performance, fire resistance and water absorption. It was found that 30:70 PET to sand demonstrated the best overall performance.

Keywords: recycling, PET, plastic, sustainable construction, sustainable development

Procedia PDF Downloads 128