22 research outputs found
Bridging the science-society-policy interface for transformational knowledge translation in Africa
No full textScience generates solutions for the benefit of the society: creating new knowledge, improving education, and increasing the quality of lives. It is therefore important that African scientists focuses on generating inputs for policy and institutional innovations as well as technology-based innovations to catalyse, support, and accelerate systems and systemic transformations. Also, Government decisions and legislations should ideally be guided by latest scientific knowledge. However, science culture; how a society understands and uses scientific knowledge is still at its infancy in most part of Africa.
A country’s science culture determines the scope of impact that the scientific enterprise can have in terms of improving lives and advancing development. A study in this edition titled “approaches to monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of knowledge translation platforms in low- and middle-income Countries” reported that generally, translating knowledge from research to practice takes a very long time.
To this end, science communities ought to commit to enhanced collaboration among different disciplines of sciences in particular social sciences, natural sciences, and health-related sciences. Also, public understanding and engagement with science, and citizen participation is essential for research evidence uptake. Scientists must endeavour to make their research relevant and comprehensible to society (citizens and policymakers)
A call to strengthen eco-innovation using indigenous resources and waste products
No full textWaste is often taken for granted, as a broad category, which encompasses materials we no longer need. Another category of waste would be local resources that we have hitherto not found use for. Although waste management has always existed, recent studies seem to suggest that waste management needs to be addressed principally in poorer countries, given that since the 1970s the developed world has promoted techniques and policies to tackle waste (Jgensen, 2013) and has also advanced innovative measures and practices often associated with green ideas and care for the environment. However, waste management associated with indigenous practices have long been in existence in Africa. For example, according to Solomon et al. (2016) the old use of ash and recycled material to make the soil fertile among indigenous groups in Liberia and Ghana, West Africa, has been ignored (Salim et. al., 2018).
The concept of innovation refers to a broad guiding principle that mobilizes science and technology in the service of the goals of national development. Today as a favourite concept eco-innovation is developing new ideas, promoting new operations, products, and processes to protect the environment, thus obtaining environmental sustainability. Worldwide, eco-innovation is one of the leading strategies to promote resource and energy efficiency and create a low carbon society.
Some of the articles published in this regular edition support the eco-innovation principle, which imagines resources with a life cycle perspective, they consider all phases of the product life cycle, from the extraction of raw materials through material processing, manufacturing, distribution, use, repair and maintenance to disposal or re-use. From the outcome of the publications in this edition, it is recommended that eco-innovative research should be fostered through strategic investment in exploiting local resources and waste products for home grown solutions to sustainable development challenges. This provides opportunities to improve resource management and ensure the reuse of waste or prevent waste by developing indigenous resources
The Imperative of Systems Thinking Approach in Driving Food Systems Transformation through Science and Innovation
No full textAs the world became progressively aware that increasing production did not solve global hunger and health problems, the issue of the environmental and social costs of focusing solely on food security and nutrition came to the fore. The term ‘food systems transformation’ was introduced as a radical idea of rethinking the key outcomes of food systems. A complete rethink of the attributes of food systems, including its purpose, rules, and power structures. Food system transformation processes would ideally reshape the way a food system is organized for the desired outcomes: food security, healthy diets, economic wellbeing, social wellbeing and environmental sustainability.Most of the social, economic, moral, and environmental challenges are interconnected and interact with each. Fully understanding the causes and solutions to these challenges is not possible when handled in isolation. Food systems are complex adaptive systems consisting of several actors, linkages, dynamics, etc. These complexity means food systems exhibit unpredictable behaviour, with nonlinear change, tipping points, and unintended responses to shocks and interventions. Systems thinking is a high-level approach to thinking, acting and practice necessary to effect transformational change in any domain.For food systems transformation to be inclusive, science and technology-based innovations must be accompanied by institutional innovations (social, business and policy innovations), underpinned by science (basic sciences and applied sciences, natural sciences and social sciences). Also, innovations need to be aligned with sustainability concerns. All these certainly requires attention and joint engagement by researchers from all areas of the food system-related discipline
ECOTOXICOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT FOR POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBON IN AQUATIC SYSTEMS OF OIL PRODUCING COMMUNITIES IN DELTA STATE, NIGERIA
No full textInnovative solutions: Of internet of things and biotechnology
No full textThe broad term, "biotechnology" dates to domestication of animals, cultivation of plants, and their modification through breeding programmes using artificial choice and conjugation. Attaining sustainability requires fast research and developments in every sector including the most diversified field of biotechnology. The Internet of Things (IoT), one of the coveted areas in technological revolution carries tremendous potential for the transformation of research, innovation and invention in every discipline. IoT provides a window for the efficient, reproducible, fast and precise research into biotechnological research. The potential role of IoT in advancing innovation, conferring economic up-scaling and invention in biotechnology was explored in this editorial
The Imperative of Systems Thinking Approach in Driving Food Systems Transformation through Science and Innovation
No full textAs the world became progressively aware that increasing production did not solve global hunger and health problems, the issue of the environmental and social costs of focusing solely on food security and nutrition came to the fore. The term ‘food systems transformation’ was introduced as a radical idea of rethinking the key outcomes of food systems. A complete rethink of the attributes of food systems, including its purpose, rules, and power structures. Food system transformation processes would ideally reshape the way a food system is organized for the desired outcomes: food security, healthy diets, economic wellbeing, social wellbeing and environmental sustainability.
Most of the social, economic, moral, and environmental challenges are interconnected and interact with each. Fully understanding the causes and solutions to these challenges is not possible when handled in isolation. Food systems are complex adaptive systems consisting of several actors, linkages, dynamics, etc. These complexity means food systems exhibit unpredictable behaviour, with nonlinear change, tipping points, and unintended responses to shocks and interventions. Systems thinking is a high-level approach to thinking, acting and practice necessary to effect transformational change in any domain.
For food systems transformation to be inclusive, science and technology-based innovations must be accompanied by institutional innovations (social, business and policy innovations), underpinned by science (basic sciences and applied sciences, natural sciences and social sciences). Also, innovations need to be aligned with sustainability concerns. All these certainly requires attention and joint engagement by researchers from all areas of the food system-related discipline
Editorial - Enhancing food security and nutrition through resilient agrifood value chains
No full textThe war in Ukraine, with other attendant consequences, has resulted in a massive decline in the supply of major staple foods leading to a rise in food prices globally. As the world focuses on the global food crises precipitated by the Ukrainian war; it is important to contextualize food and nutrition insecurity in the light of domestic challenges. Nigeria’s population in conflict zones have faced and will continue to face food insecurity crisis or emergency levels of food insecurity due to ruthless banditry in the northwest. For example, in 2016, the United Nations reported that Boko Haram bombings in Northern Nigeria disrupted trade routes between Chad and Nigeria, interrupting the supply of basic goods and causing local price hikes.In addition, climate change, natural disasters, violence between farmers and herders; kidnappings, and other forms of insecurity have impacted food production and distribution in Nigeria making food crisis a daily war for Nigerians. At the same time, agricultural productivity has steadily grown, and technological and institutional innovations have proliferated within agrifood markets and value chain with the potential to reduce poverty and food insecurity around the world.A food value chain (FVC) consists of all the stakeholders who participate in the coordinated production and value-adding activities that are needed to make food products. According to HLPE (2014), losses and wastes are common in all the phases of the FVCs (pre-harvest, harvesting and initial handling, storage, transport and logistics, processing and packaging, retailing and, finally, consumption activities). The agrifood value chain development in Nigeria is facing many barriers to fulfilling its potential including but not limited to capacity, enabling environment, governance, infrastructure, and policies conducive to sustainability and growth.Adding value post-production and minimizing losses with innovations in post-harvest and processing phases can have significant economic and environmental impacts, with input savings and carbon footprint reduction
Antibiotic Sensitivity Pattern of Pathogenic Bacterial Isolates From Diseased Clarias gariepinus From Selected Ibadan And Ikorodu Farms
No full textThis study was carried out to isolate, characterise and identify bacteria from diseased Clarias gariepinusand also assess the occurrence of resistance to antimicrobial in isolated bacteria. Samples of diseased African Catfish were collected for a period of six weeks from consenting farms in Ibadan and Ikorodu in Nigeria and examined for clinical signs of disease. Pond water samples along with organs such as gills, skin, intestine, kidney and lungs from these fish were analyzed microbiologically using differential and selective media. Bacteria enumeration, identification and biochemical characterization were carried out and the physiochemical parameters of the water samples determined. All isolates were subjected to antibiotic sensitivity test using the standard Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. The total bacterial load for the organs ranged between 3.0 x 104 (lungs sample) and 6.0 x 107cfu/g (gill sample). The gills had the highest average total bacterial count, while lungs had the least. Morphologically unique bacterial isolates obtained included Salmonella (14 isolates), Pseudomonas (4 isolates), Aeromonas (2 isolates), Edwardsiella (3 isolates) and Shigella (3 isolates). These isolates displayed antibiotic resistance profile to the following: Ceftazidime (38%), Cefuroxime (77%), Gentamicin (37%), Cefixime (73%), Ofloxacin (23%), Augmentin (66%), Nitrofurantoin (58%) and Ciprofloxacin (15%). Two Salmonella isolates had multi-drug resistance pattern. This study showed that indiscriminate use of unlicensed or unapproved antibiotics for aquaculture portends significant hazards to public health therefore disease prevention is preferable through good culture and health management to ensure optimum yields and wholesome products
Growth performance and sensory parameters of African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) fed with a sublethal dose of neem leaf extract, and its antibacterial effects
No full textU ovom su radu istraženi antibakterijski učinci lišća nima, kao i rast i senzorni pokazatelji afričkog soma (Clarias gariepinus) hranjenog ovim lišćem. Upotrijebljeno je 90 odraslih afričkih somova (42,40 ± 2,50 g). Pokusna je skupina izložena tijekom dva tjedna 3,5 % i 7 % LC50 vodenom ekstraktu lišća nima dodanog u komercijalnu hranu tijekom četiri tjedna, dok je kontrolna skupina hranjena netretiranom hranom. Određena je tjelesna dužina i masa nasumično odabranih riba za provjeru organoleptičkih pokazatelja. Škrge i uzorci kože prikupljeni su za bakteriološku analizu, dok su uzorci mišića pripremljeni za senzornu analizu. Prosječna konzumacija hrane bila je pod znakovitim utjecajem (P < 0,05) lišća nima, neovisno o koncentraciji, u odnosu na kontrolnu skupinu. Prosječan prirast bio je znakovito viši (P < 0,05) u riba hranjenih lišćem nima u odnosu na kontrolnu skupinu, dok je konverzija hrane bila znakovito niža (P < 0,05) u skupini hranjenoj lišćem nima, neovisno o dozi. Ribe u svim skupinama bile su naizgled zdrave uz 100%-tno preživljenje. Utvrđen je zamjetan pad brojnosti ukupnih bakterija u škrgama i na koži s porastom koncentracije lišća nima. Bakterije Micrococci spp. i Bacillus subtilis nisu izolirane iz škrga, ali su utvrđene u koži, kao i E. coli i Pseudomonas fluorescens. Nisu utvrđene znakovite razlike senzornih pokazatelja. Dodatak lišća nima ima visok antibakterijski učinak praćen odličnim pokazateljima rasta te općom prihvatljivošću tkiva ribe za konzumaciju.The antibacterial effects of Neem leaf, the growth performance and sensory qualities of African catfish fed with Neem leaf inclusion were investigated in this study. Ninety (90) post-juvenile Clarias gariepinus (42.40 ± 2.50 g) were used. Experimental groups in triplicate were exposed bi-weekly to 3.5% and 7% LC50 of Neem leaves aqueous extract infused in commercial floating feed for four weeks, while the control group was exposed to untreated feed. The whole body length and weight of randomly sampled fish were taken for organo-somatic indices. Gills and skin samples were collected for bacteriological screening, while fish muscles were prepared for sensory acceptability tests. Mean feed intake was significantly (
