This book provides stimulating and timely suggestions about expanding the world food supply to include a variety of minilivestock. It suggests a wide variety of small animals as nutritious food. These animals include arthropods (insects, earthworms, snails, frogs), and various rodents. The major advantage of minilivestock is that they do not have t
Arthropods are invertebrates that constitute over 90% of the animal kingdom, and their bio-ecology is closely linked with global functioning and survival. Arthropods play an important role in maintaining the health of ecosystems, provide livelihoods and nutrition to human communities, and are important indicators of environmental change. Yet the population trends of several arthropods species show them to be in decline. Arthropods constitute a dominant group with 1.2 million species influencing earth’s biodiversity. Among arthropods, insects are predominant, with ca. 1 million species and having evolved some 350 million years ago. Arthropods are closely associated with living and non-living entities alike, making the ecosystem services they provide crucially important. In order to be effective, plans for the conservation of arthropods and ecosystems should include a mixture of strategies like protecting key habitats and genomic studies to formulate relevant policies for in situ and ex situ conservation. This two-volume book focuses on capturing the essentials of arthropod inventories, biology, and conservation. Further, it seeks to identify the mechanisms by which arthropod populations can be sustained in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, and by means of which certain problematic species be managed without producing harmful environmental side-effects. This edited compilation includes chapters contributed by over 80 biologists on a wide range of topics embracing the diversity, distribution, utility and conservation of arthropods and select groups of insect taxa. More importantly, it describes in detail the mechanisms of sustaining arthropod ecosystems, services and populations. It addresses the contribution of modern biological tools such as molecular and genetic techniques regulating gene expression, as well as conventional, indigenous practices in arthropod conservation. The contributors reiterate the importance of documenting and understanding the biology of arthropods from a holistic perspective before addressing conservation issues at large. This book offers a valuable resource for all zoologists, entomologists, ecologists, conservation biologists, policy makers, teachers and students interested in the conservation of biological resources.
The genetic modification of crops continues to be the subject of intense debate, and opinions are often strongly polarised. Environmental Impact of Genetically Modified Crops addresses the major concerns of scientists, policy makers, environmental lobby groups and the general public regarding this controversial issue, from an editorially neutral standpoint. While the main focus is on environmental impact, food safety issues, for both humans and animals are also considered. The book concludes with a discussion on the future of agricultural biotechnology in the context of sustainability, natural resource management and future global population and food supply.
This book overviews the role of insects in providing various human, environmental, recreational, aesthetic, and cultural services. It presents a comprehensive account of insect service providers to show different aspects of insects and cultivate the appreciation of insects. Insects are beneficial to humans as ecofriendly tools, as parasitoids and predators in the biological control of insect pests and vectors, reducing the use of agrochemicals in modern agriculture and protecting the environment. Insects facilitate crop pollination and increase the agricultural yield. They are farmers’ friends, and serve as food for the human population worldwide, provide pharmaceuticals, take part in ecosystem services, and work as scavengers. Insects are used in disease therapy and wound healing. They are also helpful in criminal investigations and are the best models for research and technology innovations. Insects also yield various silks, lac, honey, propolis, wax, etc., promoting insect tourism, recreations, and culture. This contributed volume focuses on these different beneficial aspects of insects in human life. This book will be of interest to undergraduate and postgraduate students of entomology, agricultural zoology, researchers, and anyone interested in insects, including policy planners.
This termite Volume 2 comprises 13 chapters in an attempt to bring all available information on sustainable and eco-friendly termite management. The previous Volume considered the biology, social behaviour and economic importance of these insects. Chapters in this book dealing with damage and specific management of fungus-growing termites provide a review on most recent methodologies used for management. Termite damage crops from sowing till harvest. As it is difficult to detect damages in field, usually it is too late when the symptoms are noticed. A separate chapter on issues related to Indian agriculture and the contemporary practices being followed by majority of the Indian farmers is quite informative. Similarly, a case study for termites infesting Malaysian forests constitutes an important contribution. Various issues related to integrated and eco-friendly termite management in tropical conditions have been addressed comprehensively. Potential role of microbes has also been discussed in detail in other chapters. The information contained under these chapters should help termite management in a way that natural resources can be used and maintained for the generations to come. Similarly, the chapter on physical barriers contributes a wealth of information that can be useful all over the world where termite is a problem. Emphasis has been laid on reviewing contribution of synthetic chemical insecticides in termite management. A separate chapter dealing with standard norms in wood protection constitute a significant step in this direction. A further chapter throws light on the potential of biotechnology as a tool in management..
The world population is expected to increase exponentially within the next decade, which means that the food demand will increase and so will waste production. The increasing demand for food as well as changes in consumption habits have led to the greater availability and variety of food with a longer shelf life. However, there is a need for effective food waste management and food preservation as wasted food leads to overutilization of water and fossil fuels and increasing greenhouse gas emissions from the degradation of food. The Research Anthology on Food Waste Reduction and Alternative Diets for Food and Nutrition Security explores methods for reducing waste and cutting food loss in order to help the environment and support local communities as well as solve issues including that of land space. It also provides vital research on the development of plant-based foods, meat-alternative diets, and nutritional outcomes. Highlighting a range of topics such as agricultural production, food supply chains, and sustainable diets, this publication is an ideal reference source for policymakers, sustainable developers, politicians, ecologists, environmentalists, corporate executives, farmers, and academicians seeking current research on food and nutrition security.
Modern medicine is changing drastically as new technologies emerge to transform the way in which patients are diagnosed, treated, and monitored. In particular, veterinary medicine is experiencing a tremendous shift as digital innovations are integrated into veterinary practice. Veterinary Science: Breakthroughs in Research and Practice contains a compendium of the latest academic material on breakthroughs and recent progress in veterinary science. Including innovative studies on laboratory information management systems, animal welfare, and veterinary reform, this publication is an ideal source for professionals, practitioners, graduate students, and researchers interested in veterinary science.
｜Foreword｜ The annual International Agriculture Innovation Conference (IAIC) series started in October 2016 as an assembly platform for leading researchers, educators, and developers to present, discuss, and examine various challenging issues relating to agricultural production and innovation. In January 2018, the International Association for Agricultural Sustainability (IAAS) took IAIC under its wing with expectations that IAIC expands its influence by inviting more agriculture-related professionals to participate in conferences. I sincerely welcome you to join our conference and to share your ideas on agriculture sustainability with us. First, I would like to thank the 2017 conference participants who successfully helped us create the IAIC. The IAIC 2017 would not have been successful without their support and cooperation. Next, I especially appreciate the assistance and support from the IAIC 2017 conference sponsors — Hug Nimman Hotel, Chiang Mei. Last but not least, the keynote speakers of IAIC 2017. This book would not have been published without their efforts and contributions. In order to improve current agricultural circumstances and attain environmental sustainability, agriculture innovation has become the primary strategy nowadays toward achieving these goals. The concept of adapting agricultural innovation to every phase of agricultural production and management is the foundation for this book. This is the sequel of book Case Studies: Insights On Agriculture Innovation 2016 which collects information on various agricultural innovation ideas and technologies that have been applied or are being developed for agricultural operations and management in different countries. I believe this book will provide you with new and inspiring ideas about the future of agriculture development, and illustrate how innovations in methods and techniques influence agriculture production, environmental sustainability, and the quality of people’s lives around the world.（Dr. Cheng-I Wei, Chairman of IAAS） ｜Contents｜ Foreword Preface Introduction of Authors About IAAS Chapter 01．Agricultural Innovation for Profitability and Environmental Sustainability．Cheng-I Wei / Alfreda Wei Chapter 02．Time-Orientation in Sustainable Development of Agriculture versus the UN Sustainable Development Goals．Göran Svensson / Carmen Padin Fabeiro Chapter 03．Sustainable and Nutritional Benefits of Edible Insect Production and Distribution as a Meat or Protein Substitute．Miranda Mirosa / John Birch / Claudia Clarkson Chapter 04．The Challenges of Agricultural Innovation and Climate Change Adaptation in Developing Country．Nirote Sinnarong / Olalekan Israel Aiikulola Chapter 05．Technological Convergence and Entrepreneurial Opportunities．Tan Wee Liang Chapter 06．The Conceptual of Decision Support System for Halal Supply Chain Innovation．Rika Ampuh Hadiguna Chapter 07．Innovative Practices for Sustainable Agriculture in a Global Environment．Pamela Rae Becker Chapter 08．Risk Management - Applying Systematic Risk Management Methodology into Wild Berry Based Business．Pekka Kess Chapter 09．Key Trends in Indian Agriculture．Kothandapani Ganesh Chapter 10．New Internet Marketing Strategy: the Application of the CCB Model．Tzong-Ru Lee / Chun-Yu Chien
The harvesting, processing and consumption of edible insects is one of the main keys to the sustainability of food chains on the African continent. Insects are the largest and most successful group of animals on the planet and it is estimated that they comprise 80% of all animals. This makes edible insects extremely important to the future survival of large populations across Africa and the world. Insects offer a complete animal protein that includes all 9 essential amino acids and are very competitive with other protein sources. They are also a good source of beneficial unsaturated fats, and many insects have a perfect Omega 3:6 balance. African Edible Insects As Alternative Source of Food, Oil, Protein and Bioactive Components comprehensively outlines the importance of edible insects as food and animal feed and the processing of insects in Africa. The text also highlights indigenous knowledge of edible insects and shows the composition and nutritional value of these insects, plus presents reviews of current research and developments in this rapidly expanding field. All of the main types of edible insects are covered, including their nutritional value, chemical makeup, and harvesting and processing details. The various preparation technologies are covered for each insect, as are their individual sensory qualities and safety aspects. A key aspect of this work is its focus on the role of insects in edible oils and gelatins. Individual chapters focus on entomophagy in Africa and the various key aspects of the continent's growing edible insect consumption market. As it becomes increasingly clear that the consumption of insects will play a major role in the sustainability of food chains in Africa, this work can be used as a comprehensive and up-to-date singular source for researchers looking for a complete overview on this crucial topic.
