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Uso de residuos vegetales para la generación sostenible de energía calórica: una revisión
No full textThe primary sector, which commonly operates as a linear production system, generates much waste. This review article addresses the growing global problem of managing these wastes derived from agricultural production activities, given their environmental, social, and public health impact. It highlights the need to implement sustainable practices, focusing on using plant residues to produce briquettes, a type of solid biofuel. A variety of plant, forestry, agricultural, and household organic materials can be used to make briquettes. Their production requires consideration of factors, such as density, pressure, moisture content, and the type of binder used. Lignin, present in plant and forest residues, plays a key role in the density and strength of briquettes, as well as in their combustion capacity. Forestry and agricultural residues stand out as important inputs for the production of briquettes, contributing to the generation of renewable energies and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Promising studies show the potential of residues, such as those from urban pruning and fruit and seed husks, as researchers have carried out experiments using different combinations of materials and binders. In these processes, the type and amount of binder used significantly influences the properties of the briquettes, affecting their thermal capacity, combustion, and durability. Both organic (starch and molasses) and inorganic (clay, cement) binders play a significant role in influencing the properties of the briquettes, with each having its advantages and disadvantages. The choice of the appropriate binder depends on the type of raw material and the desired properties of the briquettes. In conclusion, the production and use of briquettes from vegetable waste represents an innovative and sustainable solution for waste management and energy generation. This practice offers environmental, social, and economic benefits - among them, the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions - whose adoption and promotion are essential to move towards a more circular and sustainable economy
Presentación
No full textEn 2025 la Revista Agroalimentaria arribará al 30° aniversario de actividad ininterrumpida. Mientras preparamos el número especial aniversario, este número 60 (Vol. 31, No. 60, enero-junio 2025) incluye ocho artículos provenientes de Argentina, Colombia, México, Perú y Venezuela. En la sección de RESEÑAS Y MISCELÁNEOS incluye tres reseñas: una, del nuevo libro de la saga Historia de la arepa, «Una arepa para el futuro: saberes con sabor a arraigo» (publicado en 2024); otra, del número 48 de la Revista Economía Agraria y Recursos Naturales-EARN de España (Vol. 24, No. 2, julio-diciembre 2024); y la última, del número 55 de la Revista Mexicana de Agronegocios (Año XXVIII, Vol. 55, julio-diciembre 2024). Cierra el número una versión actualizada de las Normas para los autores
La pedagogía ambiental como estrategia para el diseño de negocios sostenibles
No full textOne of the main causes of the global environmental crisis is the adoption of unsustainable production and consumption models that emphasize the irrational use of resources. This approach, with its negative impacts on biodiversity and social well-being, has had a significant impact on the environmental dimension of development. This approach has had a significant impact on the environmental dimensions of development, to the detriment of biodiversity and social well-being. In this sense, environmental pedagogy emerges as a strategy that, through education, can contribute to the training of entrepreneurs with a pro-environmental conscience and the skills to generate sustainable innovations. These are key factors in mitigating the unsustainability of production systems and in triggering the necessary transformation to incorporate sustainable business models as a management strategy that contributes to the well-being of present and future generations through its impact on the economic, social, and environmental dimensions of development. This article reflects on the contributions of environmental education to the conceptualization and development of sustainable business models. Methodologically, the research is based on the postulates of qualitative research, adopting the hermeneutic approach to discuss–from a deep and interdisciplinary perspective, the contributions of environmental pedagogy to the formation of entrepreneurial skills in students that promote the design and implementation of sustainable business approaches. The conclusions emphasized the need to include in the environmental education curricula topics related to sustainable enterprises, sustainable business, and sustainable entrepreneurship. All of them enrich the curriculum and strengthen the environmental culture while contributing to the formation of the entrepreneurial skills needed by students to promote innovation in the empirical field of enterprises and to develop new business models
Enhancing Market Access for Smallholder Farmers in Indonesia: The Role of Managerial Capacity and Member Motivation in Collective Action within Farmer Groups
No full textcompetitive markets. The objective is to investigate the impact of managerial capacity and member motivation on collective action and market access among smallholder farmers in Indonesia. A survey was conducted with 249 kepok banana farmers belonging to farmer groups in Seruyan Regency, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire that included demographic information and perceptions of managerial capacity, motivation, collective action, and market access. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed to assess the relationships among the constructs. The results indicate that managerial capacity significantly enhances the role of farmer groups (β = 0.494, p < 0.001), while member motivation does not show a significant effect (β = 0.076, p = 0.290). The role of farmer groups significantly influences both collective action (β = 0.616, p < 0.001) and market access (β = 0.240, p < 0.001). Furthermore, collective action has a significant positive effect on market access (β = 0.479, p < 0.001). These findings underscore the critical role of farmer groups in organizing collective strategies to enhance market access. Managerial capacity is pivotal for successful collective action. Policymakers should strengthen farmer group institutions to foster collective action, reduce market barriers, and achieve sustainable agricultural growth
Agroecología vs. Agronegocio en el Valle de Calamuchita, Córdoba, Argentina. ¿A quién le damos de comer cuando comemos?
No full textIn recent years, growing concern about the quality and origin of the food that reaches the consumer’s table has been key in the formation of alternative networks based on sustainable consumption and small and medium-scale agroecological production. In Argentina, agroecological production –even more so organic, has become almost exclusively consumed by the middle and upper classes of the population, out of the reach of the popular sectors. The lack of public policies aimed at democratizing access, in the face of the advance of market logic typical of the agro-industrial sector, only deepens social inequalities in the context of a deep inflationary crisis. This article seeks to address the characteristics that this problem acquires in the Calamuchita Valley (Cordoba, Argentina), based on a series of questions that arose during an ethnographic fieldwork carried out together with agroecological producers in the region. From an anthropological perspective, it aims to trace the journey of the foods that arrive in the Calamuchita Valley, from their production conditions at origin to the vicissitudes prior to their commercialization; aspects that are, as will be show later on, directly related to the widespread use of pesticides within Argentine fruit and vegetable production. On the other hand, and based on the data constructed within the framework of my research, it will seek to address the impact of agribusiness at the local level, its expansion and retreat in the face of resistance movements. Finally, some alternatives that agroecological experiences have inaugurated in the CalamuchitaValley after its growth are presented, mainly in relation to the supply of locally produced fruits and vegetables, identifying possibilities and challenges for a future that requires the emergence of environmentally sustainable agriculture but, above all, socially fair
Potencialidades agroalimentarias de productos tradicionales de regiones deprimidas de la Costa del Pacífico de Ecuador [Reseña de Libro]
No full textProfessor and researcher Frank Tovar reviews the book “Agri-food potential of traditional products from depressed regions of the Pacific Coast of Ecuador” (“Potencialidades agroalimentarias de productos tradicionales de regions deprimidas de la Costa del Pacífico de Ecuador”, in Spanish). This is the first edition published –only in Spanish, in August 2024 by Ediciones ULEAM, the publishing house of the Universidad Laica Eloy Alfaro de Manabí, Ecuador. Authored by professors Luis Dionicio Andrade Alcívar, Rafael Cartay and Henry Xavier Mendoza Ponce, the book it is a compendium of thirteen chapters, each of which analyzes the potential of an equal number of the most important agri-food products (or their groups) of the Province of Manabí, as alternatives for adding value through agro-industrial processing based on low capital investment technology, and as cornerstone for –among other purposes, improving employment, family agriculture and to contribute to the local development
Fortalecimiento de capacidades de organizaciones campesinas en producción de semilla de papa (Solanum tuberosum L.) en Colombia, 2020-2022
No full textPotato is a crop of great importance for food security in different regions of the world, including Colombia. Estimates for 2021 show that approximately 100,000 producers, mainly smallholders, will plant potatoes across 118,070 hectares in Colombia. On the other hand, the use of asexual planting material in potato production can lead to seed degeneration, resulting in loss of yield and commercial quality because of the accumulation of pathogens in the tubers. Lack of knowledge of quality parameters and farmers' limited technical, organizational, financial, and market capacities exacerbate this situation. To mitigate this problem, Agrosavia (Corporación Colombiana de Investigación Agropecuaria) developed a basic training plan on seed potato quality production, based on Resolution 3168 of 2015 of the ICA (Colombian Agricultural Institute), which was implemented in 12 producer organizations throughout the country. The objective was to strengthen the capacity of these groups in technical, organizational, financial, and market aspects. The results were positive, as there was evidence of an increase in producers' knowledge and skills, which led to improvements in production and environmental protection, as well as in the market integration of potatoes and other agricultural products. This capacity-building approach is fundamental to promoting the sustainability of the production system and ensuring food security in Colombia. Thanks to this initiative, farmers will face the challenges and take advantage of the opportunities to produce quality seed, thus improving their position in the agricultural market. Therefore, this article briefly presents the main results of implementing the methodology proposed by Agrosavia to strengthen the capacity to produce quality seed potatoes with organizations of small and medium-sized producers in Colombia during the period 2020-2022
Evaluación multifuncional de sistemas agrícolas campesinos de caña panelera en cinco municipios paneleros de Cundinamarca, Colombia
No full textThis study evaluates, from the perspective of the multifunctionality of agriculture, the peasant agricultural systems surrounding the cultivation of panela cane in five producing municipalities in the department of Cundinamarca (Colombia). To achieve the objectives, a mixed-method approach was used, starting with the definition of a purposive sample of 15 farms located in the municipalities of La Peña, Caparrapí, Útica, Topaipí, and El Peñón, in the provinces of Río Negro and Gualivá. The socioeconomic conditions of the panela cane production systems were characterized and analyzed to understand and guide the sustainable development of this productive system in these territories, as well as its sociocultural impact on peasant families. These municipalities are distinguished by the fact that some receive assistance from the National Federation of Panela Producers, while others do not. However, all municipalities share the same agro-environmental conditions, where the same type of crops is grown. To obtain the results, the study establishes that municipalities with greater institutional presence have higher monetary incomes, whereas those without assistance experience a lower level of monetization. Additionally, factors such as price instability were identified, which increases the risk of losses due to production costs that affect the financial inclusion of peasant economies—without necessarily translating into a better quality of life. Finally, the study highlights the need to address other dimensions of development, enabling more active community participation in decision-making processes related to the development model that should guide rural Colombia
Special Briefing on the Feed, Livestock, and Food Situation
No full text[Contents:] World Food Situation – U. S. Agricultural Exports – Agricultural Outlook and the Food Situation – The Feed-Livestock Situation
The conservation of agricultural biodiversity as a strategy to guarantee food security and sovereignty in Brazil
No full textHunger is a problem that covers several sectors, being mainly the product of a historical trajectory of disorganization of public policies. In this context, concerns arise with strategies that enable increased production, availability, and access to food, with emerging proposals that value the environment during this process, as well as food security and sovereignty. To guarantee these motions, traditional communities stand out, which adopt agroecological production systems, aiming for a sustainable approach that conserves the agrobiodiversity of the people and enhances sociocultural diversity through their “creole” varieties. Creole are commonly selected and cultivated in certain locations by different people, often for their own subsistence. Considering the conception that the epistemological crisis of conventional science is giving space to a new political and participatory epistemology to rise, the objective of this study is to discuss the contribution of agrobiodiversity preserved by traditional communities, represented especially by Creole seeds, under the agroecological perspective, as a strategy to guarantee food security and sovereignty. To this end, qualitative research was adopted as a methodology, to compare agricultural evolution and the food crisis. From this perspective, it is possible to discuss the premises, providing the characteristics of an agriculture on an agroecological basis and its relationship with conserved agrobiodiversity, mainly with native seeds. In the end, it was found that the maintenance of native seeds contributes to food security and sovereignty in line with the agroecological approach, highlighting the urgency of opting for one of the paths: maintaining the model driven by predatory agricultural production capitalism of own sources of resources on which it depends; or the consideration of “recalcitrant territories” sheltered by traditional peoples who position themselves intending to modify the paradoxical and autophagic character of the current scenario, providing strategies to solve problems such as the food crisis which, in itself, exposes other difficulties faced by different peoples