Faba beans, formerly known as broad beans, are among the oldest crops in the world. It has in fact been claimed with some justification that the Pyramids were built on faba beans They are today a major crop in many countries such as China, Egypt and the Sudan; and are widely grown for human food throughout the Me iterranean region, in Ethiopia and in parts of Latin America. In recent years there has been a growing interest in faba bean production as a protein source for stock feed in parts of Europe, North America and Aus. tralia. The publication served by this preface arose from the first International Faba Bean Con ference, held in Cairo, Egypt, on March 7-11, 1981 which provided a suitable forum for the review of many scientifically important aspects of the improvement of the crop. Leading faba bean specialists from four continents who participated were able not only to contri. bute from their personal expertise in relevant subjects, but in return to gain from their ex perience of Nile Valley conditions and from close contact with so many of the world's faba bean scientists. The conference was supported in the main by the ICARDAjIFAD Nile Valley Faba Bean Project. Additional support was received from a number of other organisations and institutions whose help is gladly acknowledged. These included the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) of the Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture; G.T.Z. of Germany; IDRC of Canada; the National Research Center of Egypt; and Cairo University."

"So long as a person is capable of self renewal they are a living being. " -Amiel Cereals have been the source of life to the human race, providing nutritional and ma terial needs since the dawn of civilization. As with all dynamic industries, the Cereal in dustry has renewed itself in the past; as the millennium approaches, it is on the brink of another renewal, in which the versatility and providence of cereals are being rediscovered, but in new and exciting ways. Cereals are richly diverse; over 10,000 varieties convert minerals and the energy of the sun into a bursting catalog of functional and versatile biomolecules and biopolymers. Processing technology allows these components to be accessed, separated, isolated and purified, while chemical science allows modification for even greater diversity and speci ficity. The last century has seen the move from cereal- to oil-based chemical and materials industries. But cereals contain a greater variety and functionality of macromolecules than oil. Starch, protein, bran and straw, already diverse across cereal varieties, can be fraction ated into more specific elements, modified chemically to enhance function, or used as feedstocks in fermentation-based bioconversion systems, to produce a range of bulk and fine chemicals for industries as diverse as food, pharmaceuticals, plastics, textiles, pulp and paper, transport, composites and boards, adhesives and energy."

"So long as a person is capable of self renewal they are a living being. " -Amiel Cereals have been the source of life to the human race, providing nutritional and ma terial needs since the dawn of civilization. As with all dynamic industries, the Cereal in dustry has renewed itself in the past; as the millennium approaches, it is on the brink of another renewal, in which the versatility and providence of cereals are being rediscovered, but in new and exciting ways. Cereals are richly diverse; over 10,000 varieties convert minerals and the energy of the sun into a bursting catalog of functional and versatile biomolecules and biopolymers. Processing technology allows these components to be accessed, separated, isolated and purified, while chemical science allows modification for even greater diversity and speci ficity. The last century has seen the move from cereal- to oil-based chemical and materials industries. But cereals contain a greater variety and functionality of macromolecules than oil. Starch, protein, bran and straw, already diverse across cereal varieties, can be fraction ated into more specific elements, modified chemically to enhance function, or used as feedstocks in fermentation-based bioconversion systems, to produce a range of bulk and fine chemicals for industries as diverse as food, pharmaceuticals, plastics, textiles, pulp and paper, transport, composites and boards, adhesives and energy."

ICARDA has the serious and urgent responsibility for increasing the quantity and availability of food in the extensive North Africa-West Asia region, and therefore must give high priority to optimising the use of soil water and nitrogen which are considered to be among the main limiting factors to production. To obtain the knowledge to further this aim, and with the help of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), ICARDA is developing a special project on 'Increasing the Fixation of Soil Nitrogen and the Efficiency of Soil Water Use in Rainfed Agricultural Systems in the Countries of North Africa and Western Asia'. In planning this project, ICARDA has called on the expertise of leading scientists in a number of countries who can give the benefit of their experience, and advise on methods and priorities on which this specific research can be soundly based and conducted. To provide a forum for the presentation and exchange of such information, ICARDA, with the help of UNDP, invited a number of these scientists to a week-lung workshop at Aleppo in January 1980. This workshop gave rise to valuable discussions which culminated in several recommendations by which the project will be guided. The organising committee comprised Drs. J. Begg (Aus tralia), P. Cooper and D. Gibbon (lCARDA), P. Dart (Australia), G. J. Koop man and J. McWilliam (ICARDA Board of Trustees), A. Kassam (England) and P. Vlek (U.S.A.)."

"Food Industry Wastes: Assessment and Recuperation of Commodities" presents emerging techniques and opportunities for the treatment of food wastes, the reduction of water footprint, and creating sustainable food systems. Written by a team of experts from around the world, this book provides a guide for implementing bioprocessing techniques. It also helps researchers develop new options for the recuperation of these wastes for community benefit.

More than 34 million tons of food waste was generated in the United States in 2009, at a cost of approximately $43 billion. And while less than three percent of that waste was recovered and recycled, there is growing interest and development in recovering and recycling food waste. These processes have the potential not only to reduce greenhouse gases, but to provide energy and resources for other purposes.

This book examines these topics in detail, starting with sources, characterization and composition of food wastes, and development of green production strategies. The book then turns to treatment techniques such as solid-state fermentation and anaerobic digestion of solid food waste for biogas and fertilizer. A deep section on innovative biocatalysts and bioreactors follows, encompassing hydrogen generation and thermophilic aerobic bioprocessing technologies. Rounding out the volume are extensive sections on water footprints, including electricity generation from microbial fuel cells (MFCs), and life cycle assessments.
Food waste is an area of focus for a wide range of related industries from food science to energy and engineeringOutlines the development of green product strategiesInternational authoring team represents the leading edge in research and development Highlights leading trends of current research as well as future opportunities for reusing food waste

This book is a unique resource for state-of-the-art research findings on biotechnological innovations in the area of industrial and therapeutic enzymes. It considers special-function and extreme-nature enzymes such as ribozymes, therozymes, cold-adapted enzymes, etc, covering all aspects such as the producing micro-organisms, their mode of cultivation, downstream processing and applications. It provides a great deal of information on the potential of enzymes for commercial exploitation. The information is organized in an easy-to-use format that highlights the most relevant topics and includes photographs, figures, and tables.

The unnerving price of petroleum will push a major change from a petroleum based economy to a natural feedstock based economy. Bestowed with all the essential nutrients necessary for microbial growth and being the predominant crop in the UK, wheat can be suitable candidate to provide this renewable feedstock. A process has been developed in the University of Manchester, UK, to convert the essential nutrients in wheat to a microbially accessible wheat based fermentation feedstock. At the same time, in response to the increasing concerns over the environment, the objective of this project is to establish a novel process to produce a biodegradable plastic, polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) from the wheat based fermentation feedstock.The technical feasibility of PHB production from the wheat based fermentation feedstock, has been demonstrated by the results presented in this book.

This book is a unique resource for state-of-the-art research findings on biotechnological innovations in the area of industrial and therapeutic enzymes, and special-function and extreme-nature enzymes such as ribozymes, therozymes, cold-adapted enzymes, etc, covering all aspects such as the producing micro-organisms, their mode of cultivation, downstream processing and applications. It provides a great deal of information on potential of enzymes for their commercial exploitation. This book gives up-to-date information on advances in enzyme research useful to both the expert and researchers entering the field as well. The vital information has been organized in an easy-to-use format that lets readers become familiar with highlights of the most relevant topics and includes photographs, figures, and tables.

Food Industry Wastes: Assessment and Recuperation of Commodities, Second Edition presents a multidisciplinary view of the latest scientific and economic approaches to food waste management, novel technologies and treatment, their evaluation and assessment. It evaluates and synthesizes knowledge in the areas of food waste management, processing technologies, environmental assessment, and wastewater cleaning. Containing numerous case studies, this book presents food waste valorization via emerging chemical, physical, and biological methods developed for treatment and product recovery. This new edition addresses not only recycling trends but also innovative strategies for food waste prevention. The economic assessments of food waste prevention efforts in different countries are also explored. This book illustrates the emerging environmental technologies that are suitable for the development of both sustainability of the food systems and a sustainable economy. So, this volume is a valuable resource for students and professionals including food scientists, bio/process engineers, waste managers, environmental scientists, policymakers, and food chain supervisors.