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Scientific Article details

Title Enemies and allies: the different roles of insects towards fruit and vegetable loss and waste
ID_Doc 23755
Authors Farina, P; Abenaim, L; Conti, B
Title Enemies and allies: the different roles of insects towards fruit and vegetable loss and waste
Year 2021
Published
DOI 10.12871/00021857202202
Abstract The halving of food loss and waste is one of the 2030 Agenda main goals. For fruit and vegetables, loss and waste occur from the field to the table, reaching worldwide around 572 million tonnes per year. One of the major causes of damages and spoilage is represented by insect pests. In the Mediterranean area, the most threatening species at the post-harvest and storage stages are Ceratitis capitata, Drosophila suzukii, and Spodoptera littoralis. On the other hand, some valuable insects like Hermetia illucens can bioconvert organic by-products and waste into upcycled materials (e.g., lipids, proteins, biofuels) and be a source of chitosan. Chitosan can be applied as a protectant of fruit and vegetables against pests and pathogens. This report includes some notes about the damages caused by the selected insect pests and the useful applications of H. illucens. Furthermore, we summarise the involvement of the entomology laboratory of the Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment of the University of Pisa in loss and waste of fruit and vegetable management.
Author Keywords bioconversion; chitosan; circular economy; food protection; Hermetia illucens
Index Keywords Index Keywords
Document Type Other
Open Access Open Access
Source Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED); Conference Proceedings Citation Index - Science (CPCI-S)
EID WOS:000891871400002
WoS Category Chemistry, Applied; Soil Science
Research Area Chemistry; Agriculture
PDF https://arpi.unipi.it/bitstream/11568/1152020/3/Agrochimica__Special_Issue_2021_9788833396965_2265201.pdf
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