Caregiver, keep the desire to take care

Le travail des aides-soignants est insuffisamment valorisé, même si leurs compétences sont mieux reconnues. La relation avec les patients ou résidents comme avec les membres de l'équipe est la source principale de satisfaction au travail. Pourtant, cela ne semble pas suffire pour fidéliser les soignants. © 2022 Elsevier Masson SAS

Valorization of Aloe barbadensis Miller. (Aloe vera) Processing Waste

Aloe vera plant is known worldwide for its medicinal properties and application in gel-based products such as shampoo, soap, and sunscreen. However, the demand for these gel-based products has led to a surplus production of Aloe vera processing waste. An Aloe vera gel processing facility could generate up to 4000 kg of Aloe vera waste per month. Currently the Aloe vera waste is being disposed to the landfill or used as fertilizer. A sustainable management system for the Aloe vera processing waste should be considered, due to the negative societal and environmental impacts of the currents waste disposal methods. Therefore, this review focuses on various approaches that can be used to valorize Aloe vera waste into value-added products, such as animal and aquaculture feeds, biosorbents, biofuel and natural polymers. Researchers have reported Aloe vera waste for environmental applications biosorbents used for wastewater treatment of various pollutants. Several studies have also reported on the valorization of Aloe vera waste for production of biofuels such as bioethanol, mixed alcohol fuels, biogas and syn-gas. Aloe vera waste could also be valorized through isolation and synthesis of natural polymers for application in wound dressing, tissue engineering and drug delivery systems. Aloe vera waste valorization was also reviewed through extraction of value-added bioactive compounds such as aloe-emodin, aloin and aloeresin. These value-added bioactive compounds have various applications in the cosmetics (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory, tyrosinase inhibitors) and pharmaceutical (anticancer agent and COVID 19 inhibitors) industry. © 2023, Tech Science Press. All rights reserved.

Repenser le modèle de développement agricole du Maroc pour l’ère post Covid-19

Le secteur agricole constitue une activité importante au Maroc, représentant 14 % du produit national brut et employant 40 % de la population active. Avec l’émergence de la pandémie de la Covid-19, il a été ébranlé par des incertitudes économiques et par la distanciation physique qui a accentué les contraintes du travail. Toutefois, l’agriculture s’est imposée comme une activité cruciale, puisqu’elle a continué à assurer l’approvisionnement alimentaire à des prix abordables. La pandémie, qui s’est déclarée en une année très sèche, a offert une opportunité pour réviser les principales contraintes auxquelles fait face le secteur agricole : manque d’eau et faible rémunération du travail. Elle a aussi attiré l’attention de l’opinion publique sur les quantités importantes de denrées vivrières importées. La balance des paiements des produits alimentaires demeure négative, malgré des exportations de produits agricoles mises en relief par le discours officiel. En outre, des études récentes ont montré que ces dernières dépendent avant tout d’usages accrus et souvent déraisonnables d’eau souterraine, malgré les subventions à la conversion des systèmes d’irrigation gravitaire vers le goutte-à-goutte. Des suivis d’exploitations ont démontré que ces subventions ont généré une expansion de la surface irriguée avec des cultures à besoins hydriques élevés. Cette situation doit être considérée comme l’opposé de l’objectif recherché : une amélioration de la valorisation de l’eau. Il faut donc reconnaître que l’agriculture de l’ère post Covid-19 devra être différente. Un changement de paradigme doit s’opérer où la valorisation de l’eau pluviale figurera dans les priorités, de concert avec la souveraineté alimentaire. Il doit englober différentes dimensions, comme la préservation de l’environnement, le développement du monde rural et de systèmes alimentaires durables, mais aussi garantir l’inclusion sociale et de meilleures rémunérations du travail agricole, afin d’assurer son attractivité et réduire l’exode rural.Alternate : The agricultural sector is strategic for the Moroccan economy, still accounting for around 14% of the Gross Domestic Product and employing 40% of the active population. With the emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic, it has been literally shaken up, with growing uncertainties with regard to market opportunities and physical distancing which has amplified work constraints. However, citizens have rapidly acknowledged the importance of agriculture, as it ensured a regular supply of food during the lockdown at relatively affordable prices. The pandemic, which has emerged in a particularly dry year, has provided an opportunity to revise the constraints facing the agricultural sector, particularly water scarcity and limited work remuneration. It has also shown to consumers the significant share of imported staple food. In fact, the food trade balance remains in deficit despite the exports of high value commodities, which are emphasized by the public authorities. Moreover, recent studies have shown that these exports rely on increasing amounts of groundwater uptakes. This has happened despite the significant subsidies awarded to farmers to convert gravity irrigation to drip irrigation systems. On-farm investigations have demonstrated that subsidies mainly resulted in an expansion of the area with cash crops needing significant amounts of water. This situation is the opposite of the goal sought by the agricultural policy, i.e. a higher economic water productivity. It is therefore crucial to recognize that the post Covid-19 agriculture should be different. Indeed, there is a need for a paradigm shift where rain-fed agriculture has to get at the top of the political agenda, with more attention to food sovereignty. This has to encompass wide topics, such as environment preservation, rural development and sustainable food systems, to ensure social inclusiveness, and guarantee better wag s that can increase the attractiveness of work within farming activities and reduce rural exodus.

Codesign of Food System and Circular Economy Approaches for the Development of Livestock Feeds from Insect Larvae.

Processes that utilise low-value wastes and convert them to high-value food ingredients systemically add value across commercial operations. Current common disposal options include use as animal feed, anaerobic digestion, composting, incineration, and the worst-case options of landfill and wastewater disposal. The pressure is acute with food manufacturers needing to align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and reach targets of zero waste to landfill. This research identifies black soldier fly larvae as a bioreactor that converts most food waste into high-value feed materials. Production of larvae and the regulatory framework for their use as animal feed is being assessed in several nations. The requirement to understand the availability of feedstocks for larvae production and the capability to establish feedstock supply chains was tested in this study using geographical information system and life cycle assessment methodologies, providing new research insights for resource utilisation in a circular economy.