article · Sustainability
Rising global food production places heavy demands on water and energy, making postharvest agricultural losses a critical drain on vital resources. Much of this waste occurs during processing and storage, yet it holds substantial value within a circular bioeconomy. This review examines agricultural wastes through the water-energy-waste nexus, highlighting their conversion into valuable secondary products. These include biofertilisers, growth media for plant tissue culture, biomaterials, nanomaterials, and bioactive or pharmaceutical agents. In addition, agricultural residues can contribute directly to bioenergy generation in the form of bioethanol, biogas, and biofuels. Proper handling and repurposing of agro-waste can mitigate climate change, supply sustainable bio-ingredients, and foster green economic growth while reducing resource losses across the broader food system.
Food waste squanders the water and energy used to produce it. Finding alternative uses for agricultural residues transforms environmental burdens into valuable industrial and medical resources. By converting discarded biomass into clean energy, fertilisers, and biochemicals, industries can reduce emissions, conserve critical resources, and strengthen sustainable bioeconomies.
The review outlines diverse applications for agricultural waste in the farming, energy, and medical sectors, including biofertilisers, biofuels, biomaterials, and therapeutic compounds. Because this work is a conceptual review of the water-energy-waste nexus rather than a specific technology evaluation, these commercial applications remain at an early, synthesised research stage rather than ready for immediate deployment.
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It is urgent that we increase global food production to support population growth. Food production requires significant resources, amongst them water and energy. Therefore, any losses of food or other agricultural products also means a waste of water and energy resources. A significant amount of these losses occurs during the postharvest stage, primarily during processing and storage. This is considered avoidable food waste. The water-energy-waste nexus (WEW), and its relationship to food production, needs to be investigated from a circular bioeconomy lens. Furthermore, alternative uses of the wastes should be investigated. This review focuses on agro-wastes and their management as sources for bioactive compounds, biofertilizers, biomaterials, nanomaterials, pharmaceuticals and medicinal agents, and growth media, e.g., for plant tissue culture. We also investigated the potential contribution of agro-wastes to bioenergy production (bioethanol, biogas, and biofuel). Proper management of agro-wastes may support the mitigation of climate change, produce innovative bio-ingredients and biodegradable materials, and enhance green growth and a circular bioeconomy. We argue that the management of agro-wastes cannot be discussed without referring to the role of water and energy within the food system. Thus, this review focuses on agricultural wastes and their handling, applications, environmental impacts, and potential benefits in the agricultural and medical industries in light of the WEW nexus.
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DOI: 10.3390/su142315717
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