Betalains in the era of global agri-food science, technology and nutritional health

Natural pigments from plants are of growing interest as substitutes for synthetic dyes in the food and pharmaceutical industry and they increase their added value if they possess positive effects on health. These pigments can be added as such if they are in the legal authorized lists of additives or can be added as phytochemical-enriched plant extract achieving the original product, which has received it, the new nomenclature of functional food. In this way, we comprise on this review a wide point of view of a group of natural pigments known as betalains. From a chemical point of view, betalains are ammonium conjugates of betalamic acid with cyclo-DOPA (betacyanins, violet) and aminoacids or amines (betaxanthins, orange or yellow), which are compounds present in our diet. Besides and taking into account that one type of betalain, betanin is approved as food colorant (E-162) by the European Union and that enlarges the specific weight of these compounds in the diet, we have evolved an overview from the biosynthesis, technology and promoting production, industrial uses as pigments up to physiological and nutritional biovailability or biological and health-promoting properties of betalains for accessible information to industrials, researchers and consumers.     

Energy use in the global food system

The global food system is a major energy user and a relevant contributor to climate change. To date, the literature on the energy profile of food systems addresses individual countries and/or food products, and therefore a comparable assessment across regions is still missing. This paper uses a global multi‐regional environmentally extended input–output database in combination with newly constructed net energy‐use accounts to provide a production and consumption‐based stock‐take of energy use in the food system across different world regions for the period 2000–2015. Overall, the ratio between energy use in the food system and the economy is slowly decreasing. Likewise, the absolute values point toward a relative decoupling between energy use and food production, as well as to relevant differences in energy types, users, and consumption patterns across world regions. The use of (inefficient) traditional biomass for cooking substantially reduces the expected gap between per capita figures in high‐ and low‐income countries. The variety of energy profiles and the higher exposure to energy security issues compared to the total economy in some regions suggests that interventions in the system should consider the geographical context. Reducing energy use and decarbonizing the supply chains of food products will require a combination of technological measures and behavioral changes in consumption patterns. Interventions should consider the effects beyond the direct effects on energy use, because changing production and consumption patterns in the food system can lead to positive spillovers in the social and environmental dimensions outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals.     

From the farm to the agri-food system: A multiple criteria framework to evaluate extended multi-functional value

Multi-functionality of agriculture and rural areas has an impact on the economy, the environment, nature and also on societal and cultural development. The dimensions of multi-functionality are interpreted in literature in many different ways, but they always deal with environmental, social and economic aspects. The measurement of the multi-functionality of the agri-food system is an important issue, as it allows the value chain to be interpreted under the lens of sustainable development pillars. In this paper, we argue that multi-functionality is a value, which extends its benefits along the entire agri-food chain. We present a methodology to aggregate indicators into an evaluation framework, in order to assess the level of multi-functionality along the entire food value chain. We have called this the “extended value” of multi-functionality, since our approach is able to consider not only the farm level, but also extends to the entire food chain. To analyse multi-functionality, it was necessary to build Non-Commodity Categories (NCC) based on Non-Commodity Output (NCO), which characterised the value added function along the agri-food value chain. A set of indicators was developed to measure the level of multi-functionality in each NCC. The Multiple Criteria Decision Aiding (MCDA) methodology ELECTRE III was used to implement an evaluation process by assigning specific importance to each indicator. This process aggregated the evaluations of multiple indicators into an integrated interpretation, and aimed to support policy makers by providing a ranking of alternative ruling policies for the agri-food value chain. We finally tested our methodological approach on the value chain for the olive oil of five European countries, to analyse which value chain was able to generate more beneficial functions above and beyond the product itself.     

Biotechnology in the wood industry

Wood is a natural, biodegradable and renewable raw material, used in construction and as a feedstock in the paper and wood product industries and in fuel production. Traditionally, biotechnology found little attention in the wood product industries, apart from in paper manufacture. Now, due to growing environmental concern and increasing scientific knowledge, legal restrictions to conventional processes have altered the situation. Biotechnological approaches in the area of wood protection aim at enhancing the treatability of wood with preservatives and replacing chemicals with biological control agents. The substitution of conventional chemical glues in the manufacturing of board materials is achieved through the application of fungal cultures and isolated fungal enzymes. Moreover, biotechnology plays an important role in the waste remediation of preservative-treated waste wood.     

The future of the global food system

Although food prices in major world markets are at or near a historical low, there is increasing concern about food security—the ability of the world to provide healthy and environmentally sustainable diets for all its peoples. This article is an introduction to a collection of reviews whose authors were asked to explore the major drivers affecting the food system between now and 2050. A first set of papers explores the main factors affecting the demand for food (population growth, changes in consumption patterns, the effects on the food system of urbanization and the importance of understanding income distributions) with a second examining trends in future food supply (crops, livestock, fisheries and aquaculture, and ‘wild food’). A third set explores exogenous factors affecting the food system (climate change, competition for water, energy and land, and how agriculture depends on and provides ecosystem services), while the final set explores cross-cutting themes (food system economics, food wastage and links with health). Two of the clearest conclusions that emerge from the collected papers are that major advances in sustainable food production and availability can be achieved with the concerted application of current technologies (given sufficient political will), and the importance of investing in research sooner rather than later to enable the food system to cope with both known and unknown challenges in the coming decades.     

Biotechnology in Asia

Cover illustration: The Asian Federation of Biotechnology (AFOB, http://www.afob.org ) was established to promote cooperation between all those interested in biotechnology in Asia and stimulate innovation and technology transfer with the goal of advancing biotechnology in Asia and the rest of the world. BTJ continues its cooperation with AFOB and Asian Congress on Biotechnology (ACB-2011), with a special issue of articles from selected invited speakers at the congress, edited by Jian-Jiang Zhong (Chair ACB-2011 Organizing Committee; SJTU, China), and Sang Yup Lee (BTJ's Editor-in-Chief; KAIST, Korea). Read the Editorial: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/201100445     

Biotechnology

A selection of interesting papers that were published in the two months before our press date in major journals most likely to report significant results in biotechnology.     

Biotechnology

A selection of interesting papers that were published in the two months before our press date in major journals most likely to report significant results in biotechnology.     

Biotechnology in the 21st century

Although the future is unpredictable, it is highly likely that biotechnology will play a much more visible and significant role in the 21st century than it did in the 20th century. The number and kinds of drugs provided by biotechnology will expand markedly and biotechnology will stand at the center of the oncoming revolution in bioinformatics.     

Biotechnology

A selection of interesting papers that were published in the two months before our press date in major journals most likely to report significant results in biotechnology.     

Biotechnology and the internet

This article attempts to bridge the gap between the arena of computers and the ever expanding protocols for individuals interested in accessing available information on biotechnology. A brief overview of the Internet and how to find information is provided. However, the focus of this review is on “what is out there’ for the biotechnologist and how to find it. Internet addresses for some key sites are listed.     

Biotechnology and the sea

Abstract

The application of recent discoveries in genetic engineering to marine plants and animals offers enormous potential for harvesting more food, pharmaceuticals, and industrial compounds from the sea. Using biotechnology's ability to excise and replace genetic material selected for specific functions, such efforts would allow manifold increases in production of substances conventionally reliant on the capture of often rare marine species. This article reviews the status of marine biotechnology with particular attention to its current and prospective uses for medicine, industrial chemicals, pollution control, and aquaculture. It concludes with some observations about the relationship of marine biotechnology to broader economic, legal, and ethical concerns about genetic manipulation.