Knowledge for Development

Relevant publications


Nanotechnology in agriculture, livestock and aquaculture in China: A review

Nanotechnologies are widely used for rapid detection and diagnosis, notably for clinical examination, food safety testing and animal epidemic surveillance. In this article, the authors review more than 200 reports on nanoscience in agriculture, livestock and aquaculture in China since the 1990s. The major findings are: (i) nanotechnologies are less developed in agronomy than other disciplines, due to less investment; (ii) nanotechnologies used for seeds and water have improved plant germination, growth, yield and quality; (iii) for livestock and poultry breeding, nanotechnologies have improved animal immunity, oxidation resistance, reduced use of antibiotics and less manure odour; (iv) nanotechnologies for water disinfection in fishponds have led to improved water quality and increased yields and survival of fish and prawns; (v) nanotechnologies have increased the performance of pesticides threefold and reduced costs by 50%; and (vi) nano-urea has increased the agronomic efficiency of nitrogen fertilization by 44.5% and grain yields by 10.2% compared with normal urea.    (Agronomy for Sustainable Development, 31/12/2014)

9/03/2015


Nanotechnology in agriculture, livestock and aquaculture in China: A review

Nanotechnologies are widely used for rapid detection and diagnosis, notably for clinical examination, food safety testing and animal epidemic surveillance. In this article, the authors review more than 200 reports on nanoscience in agriculture, livestock and aquaculture in China since the 1990s. The major findings are: (i) nanotechnologies are less developed in agronomy than other disciplines, due to less investment; (ii) nanotechnologies used for seeds and water have improved plant germination, growth, yield and quality; (iii) for livestock and poultry breeding, nanotechnologies have improved animal immunity, oxidation resistance, reduced use of antibiotics and less manure odour; (iv) nanotechnologies for water disinfection in fishponds have led to improved water quality and increased yields and survival of fish and prawns; (v) nanotechnologies have increased the performance of pesticides threefold and reduced costs by 50%; and (vi) nano-urea has increased the agronomic efficiency of nitrogen fertilization by 44.5% and grain yields by 10.2% compared with normal urea.  (Agronomy for Sustainable Development, 31/12/2014)

27/02/2015


National and international activities on the risk analysis of nanomaterials in the food and agricultural sectors

This report by WHO and FAO presents national and international risk assessment and risk management approaches that identify and implement  strategies to address potential hazards associated with the use of nanotechnology-related products or techniques. The reports is following up on the  recommendations of the 2009 FAO/WHO expert meeting and reviews national and international activities on the risk analysis of nanomaterials in the  food and agriculture sectors that have been carried out since this meeting. One conclusion is that several data gaps with respect to interaction between  nanomaterials and food matrices, behaviours of nanomaterials in human body, methods to determine such interactions and behaviours, and the  relevance of such data for risk assessment continue to exist. International collaboration and information exchange between scientists from academia,  industry and authorities to address such gaps is therefore needed.   http://www.who.int/foodsafety/publications/biotech/nanotech_2013/en/index.html   (WHO, 2013)

17/12/2013


Agricultural, food, and water nanotechnologies for the poor

This IFRPI publication provides a rapid assessment of key technologies that could have a large impact on the poor via increased agricultural productivity, improved food and water safety, and nutrition. It reviews some of the main challenges to their deployment and adoption by the poor. It concludes with a discussion of the potential role of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) in facilitating the poor’s access to beneficial nanotechnologies.(IFPRI, 2/2011)http://www.ifpri.org/publication/agricultural-food-and-water-nanotechnologies-poor

26/09/2012


International standards for trade in nano-coated produce?

This in-depth article from the Institute for agriculture and trade policy (IATP, US) looks at the use of nanotechnology-based food products and food packing materials in international agricultural commodity trade. It specifically focuses on the regulation of the use of agri-nanotechnology in the marketplace. The author, Dr. Steve Suppan, gives extensive overviews of recent advancement, definition debates and regulation voids, among other. For example, he explains the debate surrounding the definition and use Engineered Nanoscale Materials (ENMs). Here, an abstract: ‘The manipulation of atomic-to molecular-sized nanoparticles (NPs) has many commercially attractive properties for manufacturers of consumer and industrial products. For example, more than a decade of research on the incorporation of ENMs into packaging for food has identified a number of applications to extend the shelf-life of packaged foods, and even detect contamination of packaged food. Food nanocoatings are just one of several food packaging applications of nanotechnology in research and development.’ (IATP, 8/5/2012

11/07/2012