Search Results (627)

Coffee is among the most widely consumed beverages globally being cultivated in nearly 80 countries. Its processing generates large quantities of by-products, including mucilage, pulp/husks, silverskin, parchment, and spent coffee grounds. Although traditionally treated as waste, these residues are increasingly recognized as valuable resources rich in bioactive compounds exhibiting antioxidant, antimicrobial, and health-promoting properties. This review explores the antimicrobial potential of coffee by-products, with particular emphasis on their chemical composition and mechanisms of action. Compounds such as caffeine, chlorogenic acids, polyphenols, and melanoidins have demonstrated inhibitory effects against a broad spectrum of bacteria, including both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Many of these compounds, which originate from plant’s defensive system or result from Maillard reactions, are known to disrupt microbial membranes, inhibit DNA repair, and interfere with pathogen metabolism. However, the available literature on their antimicrobial effectiveness remains limited. In the context of the rising worldwide concern over antimicrobial resistance, coffee by-products represent a sustainable and promising source of novel antimicrobial agents. Their valorization may support advances in food preservation, pharmaceutical innovation, and waste management practices, contributing to the implementation of a circular economy framework in the coffee industry while promoting environmental, economic, and social sustainability. Full article

Given the increasing relevance of sustainability certification in food supply chains and, at the same time, rising confusion among consumers about the multitude of labels on food products, concerns about the value of sustainability certification occur frequently. This paper aims to investigate consumers’ evaluation and purchase intentions, and willingness-to-pay (WtP) for blockchain-enabled sustainability certification in coffee. Utilizing a questionnaire guided by an extended model of Ajzen’s theory of planned behavior (TPB), an online survey was conducted with n = 400 German consumers. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling and cluster analysis. The results revealed perceived behavioral control (PBC) and subjective norms (SN) as the most influential factors on WtP, whereas intention to buy is shaped by PBC and environmental concerns. Notably, trust in blockchain technology did not emerge as a significant direct predictor, suggesting it operates as a background condition rather than a behavioral driver. Three distinct clusters were identified with concise preference, intention, and WtP profiles, highlighting heterogeneous consumer motivations. The study contributes to the literature in three ways: it provides the first consumer-behavioral evidence from the German market; it demonstrates that blockchain-specific trust constructs do not constitute independent behavioral drivers, suggesting that adoption follows generic TPB mechanisms; and it empirically differentiates intention and WtP as distinct psychological outcomes driven by different construct sets. Full article

Augmenting aquaculture feeds with black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens L.) larvae is an emerging solution to the industry’s fishmeal and fish oil dependence. However, the larva’s nutritional plasticity often results in bioaccumulation of metals from the rearing substrates. Larvae can be nutritionally enriched with microalgae, but research investigating growth impacts and metals uptake are lacking. In this study, a Stichococcaceae algae strain that is used to phycoremediate effluent from commercial anaerobic digesters was investigated as a rearing substrate. Larvae were reared on chicken feed enriched with stepped ratios of algae and spent coffee grounds (a reference waste feed). Growth, survival and metals content (ICP-OES) were recorded when 10% of larvae were prepupal. Survival was >98.5% across all treatments with a trend of increased growth with microalgal inclusion, and no significant impact of metals on growth. Metals uptake as determined by a bioaccumulation factor was significantly lower in the highest algae treatment compared to the coffee-only treatment. Larvae consistently accumulated cadmium and lead whereas arsenic bioaccumulation was only observed in three treatments. Cadmium had the highest bioaccumulation factor (up to 4.06) and arsenic the lowest (down to 0.41). Larvae did not exceed current European Union maximum metal ions levels for inclusion into aquafeeds. These findings highlight the potential of using Stichococcaceae to enrich black soldier fly larvae, offering a dual sustainable solution for wastewater remediation and aquaculture feed provision. Full article

Background: Intensive agriculture in fragile, dry–hot valleys degrades coffee plantation soils. Combining leguminous cover crops with microbial inoculants is promising, yet their synergy remains unresolved. Methods: In a field trial, we established Medicago sativa L. (ZB1) and Vicia villosa Roth var. glabrescens (ZB2) cover crops following Bacillus cereus inoculation, then assessed soil chemistry, nitrate–nitrogen (NO₃⁻-N), key enzyme activities (catalase, CAT; sucrase, IA; urease, UA), and bacterial communities; redundancy analysis linked edaphic variables to community structure. Results: Co-application remodeled the soil microenvironment. ZB1 moderated pH from 7.92 (weakly alkaline) to 7.46 (near neutral) and increased total nitrogen (TN) and potassium (K). NO₃⁻-N rose 1.38-fold (ZB1) and 2.14-fold (ZB2), indicating improved N retention and reduced leaching risk. CAT, IA, and UA activities increased concurrently. The bacterial community shifted from Acidobacteria toward Bacteroidetes and was enriched in taxa including Flavobacterium. Redundancy analysis identified total nitrogen as the primary environmental driver of community change. Conclusions: Leguminous cover crops combined with B. cereus synergistically improved soil conditions and reorganized bacterial communities in dry–hot valley coffee systems, providing field-scale evidence and practical guidance for sustainable agroecosystem management. Full article

Agroforestry systems are a sustainable strategy for climate change mitigation by enhancing carbon sequestration in agricultural soils, particularly in regions like Zamora Chinchipe, where they improve soil resilience and productivity in deforested landscapes. This study evaluated soil carbon storage under different land-use systems—forest, cacao monoculture, cacao-based agroforestry, and coffee-based agroforestry—as a climate change mitigation strategy. Data were collected from cacao and coffee producers regarding crop management practices on their farms. Soil samples were collected at a depth of 20 cm and analyzed for bulk density (BD), pH, soil organic matter (SOM), and carbon stocks. Land-use systems showed that coffee-based agroforestry stored 101.22 Mg ha⁻¹ of carbon and cacao-based agroforestry 71.55 Mg ha⁻¹, both exceeding values observed in cacao monoculture and even forest systems. These results suggest that cacao and coffee agroforestry systems have a greater capacity for carbon sequestration compared to monoculture systems. However, the contribution of forests should not be underestimated, as these findings are based only on the surface soil layer, which limits a comprehensive assessment of the full carbon storage potential of forest ecosystems in Zamora Chinchipe. Agroforestry systems emerge as viable and sustainable alternatives for soil carbon storage, as they integrate trees and crops, promoting long-term carbon sequestration in soils. Full article

Coffee tourism has emerged as a significant niche within community-based tourism development across the Global South, promising economic diversification and cultural preservation. Yet the human resource foundations of this sector remain under-theorized relative to those of marketing and the supply chain. This study examines the human resource challenges confronting coffee tourism development in Bajawa, Flores, Indonesia—an emerging destination strategically positioned within national tourism priorities. Drawing on qualitative research including in-depth interviews with 42 informants (coffee farmers, tourism workers, village officials, private sector facilitators, and NGO representatives), document analysis, and field observations, the study suggests that workforce sustainability in coffee tourism is undermined by three intersecting dynamics: precarious labor regimes characterized by casualization and income instability; significant skill gaps across the coffee–tourism nexus; and institutional fragmentation wherein state programs, private sector initiatives, and customary labor systems operate without coherent coordination. The findings highlight that human resource challenges are not merely technical capacity deficits but are produced through informal labor arrangements, unequal power relations, and governance fragmentation. The study contributes theoretically by extending precarity scholarship to emerging destination contexts and proposing an integrative framework linking labor regimes, competency development, and workforce sustainability. Full article

This investigation aims to experimentally evaluate the thermal performance of plasters reinforced with bio-based materials and to assess their contribution to sustainable construction and the reduction in the environmental footprint of building materials by simulating their impact on the thermal behavior of a building in different Moroccan climates using TRNSYS software. Three types of samples were investigated: pure plaster and two others strengthened by 4% of alfa fibers and 6% of coffee grounds. Each model was produced with the following different water-to-plaster ratios (W/P): 0.5, 0.6, and 0.7. The results demonstrated that the inclusion of aggregates and the increase in water content improved the thermal qualities of the composites. A combination of 4% alfa fibers and a W/P ratio of 0.7 significantly reduced thermal conductivity by 32.24%, decreased density by 26.82%, and lowered the decrement factor by 21.67%. Additionally, a composite containing 6% coffee grounds and a W/P ratio of 0.7 demonstrated a reduction in thermal amplitude by 15.61% and decreases in both thermal conductivity and density by 26.05% and 22.23%, respectively. Dynamic simulation indicated that these designs reduced greenhouse gas emissions and energy loads. However, energy gains using optimal configurations were considerable and similar in the following locations: Agadir (16.3%), Tangier (14%), Meknes (13.5%), Ifrane (13.42%), Marrakech (13.6%), and Er-rachidia (12.5%). Full article

Food waste fashion—garments produced from agricultural and food industry by-products, such as fruit peels, coffee grounds, and grape marc—represents a radical yet understudied innovation within the circular economy. This study proposes the Fashion Innovation Adoption Model, a novel framework that organizes consumer adoption of fashion innovations across three hierarchical levels: a distal level comprising sociodemographic characteristics, an intermediate cognitive–evaluative level comprising consumer decision-making styles and functional product attribute evaluations, and a proximal psychosocial level comprising attitudes, static and dynamic social norms, and past fashion purchasing behavior. The model is applied for the first time to food waste fashion as a paradigmatic case of radical circular innovation in the textile sector. Hypotheses were tested via structural equation modeling on a sample of 396 Italian consumers. Purchase intention was directly predicted by attitudes, static and dynamic norms, and general fashion purchasing, whereas sustainable fashion purchasing showed no effect. Among product attributes, only sustainability information influenced both attitudes and intentions. Perfectionism and hedonism were positively associated with intention through sustainability information, while impulsivity and habit were negatively associated with intention. Sociodemographics influenced intention only indirectly, via cognitive and normative mechanisms. These findings reveal complex pathways linking psychological profiles and perceived product attributes to circular fashion adoption, with implications for communication strategies emphasizing sustainability information and targeting heterogeneous consumer motivations. Full article

The agricultural sector in Mexico, specifically the coffee and sugarcane supply chains, faces the critical challenge of reconciling economic profitability with environmental sustainability and rural social progress. This study presents a critical literature review and conceptual framework that evaluates existing analytical models and proposes methodological integration pathways to simultaneously optimize Triple bottom line (TBL) dimensions in vulnerable smallholder systems. Unlike prior reviews that focus on generic Sustainable Supply chain management (SSCM) practices, this work explicitly addresses the suitability and limitations of multi-objective optimization (MOO) and Life cycle assessment (LCA) for regenerative supply chain objectives in the Mexican coffee and sugarcane context. A critical review of 76 core articles published between 2020 and 2025 was conducted, employing comparative evaluation criteria and narrative synthesis to assess trade-offs, data requirements, and scalability constraints. The review reveals that while agricultural intensification often exacerbates environmental degradation, the adoption of sustainable practices can impose significant financial burdens on vulnerable smallholders. However, analytical models like MOO and LCA serve as robust decision-support systems that effectively evaluate trade-offs and balance competing economic, environmental, and social objectives by identifying optimal production scenarios. The contribution of this work is threefold: (1) a critical synthesis distinguishing regenerative from sustainable supply chain paradigms, (2) a comparative assessment of analytical model applicability to smallholder contexts, and (3) a conceptual framework integrating local socioeconomic realities, traditional knowledge, and modern technological approaches. Fostering resilient supply chains in Mexico requires customized analytical frameworks that explicitly operationalize social indicators, address data limitations, and enable cross-sector collaboration. Ultimately, localized models are essential to simultaneously enhance rural livelihoods, reduce carbon footprints, and maintain economic viability. Full article

Liberica coffee (Coffea liberica), including its varieties C. liberica var. liberica and C. liberica var. dewevrei (Excelsa), is the third most commercially important coffee species; however, scientific knowledge on its physicochemical, bioactive, and sensory characteristics remains limited compared with Arabica and Robusta. This study evaluates the development of Liberica coffee research and synthesizes current evidence on its key quality attributes. A bibliometric analysis of publications indexed in Scopus, PubMed, and Semantic Scholar was conducted to identify trends, themes, and knowledge gaps, followed by a targeted review of physical properties, bioactive compounds, antioxidant and antibacterial activities, and sensory characteristics. Results show a gradual increase in Liberica research over the past decade, with a shift toward quality attributes and functional properties. Liberica coffee exhibits distinctive physical traits, moderate caffeine levels, and a bioactive profile characterized by chlorogenic acids that vary with processing and roasting, alongside relatively stable alkaloids such as trigonelline and theobromine. The diterpene composition, particularly the kahweol-to-cafestol ratio, distinguishes Liberica varieties. Sensory studies report fruity, jackfruit-like aromas, moderate acidity, and a relatively full body. Despite its potential, standardized data remain limited, highlighting the need for integrated research to support quality differentiation and value addition. Full article

The coffee berry borer (Hypothenemus hampei) is the primary pest of coffee crops worldwide. Sustainable management strategies increasingly rely on the integration of biological control and interventions activated by population thresholds. In this work, a comparative framework based on dynamical systems is presented, integrating three complementary mathematical models to analyze different management strategies for the coffee berry borer. First, a biologically structured three-dimensional model describes the interaction between adult and immature borers and predatory ants. Second, a two-dimensional formulation allows the maximum per capita consumption rate of the predator to be studied as a bifurcation parameter, identifying critical parameter values that delimit regions of coexistence or effective pest control. Finally, a piecewise-smooth dynamical system incorporates ethological control activated when infestation exceeds a predefined threshold, whose effectiveness depends on the capture intensity associated with the traps. Using stability theory, bifurcation analysis, and techniques from piecewise-smooth dynamical systems, parametric regions associated with persistence, coexistence, or significant pest reduction are characterized. The results show that biological control alone may be insufficient if a predation threshold is not exceeded, whereas its combination with early threshold-based interventions considerably enlarges the dynamical regions favorable to producers. This study provides a dynamical interpretation of the agricultural concept of intervention threshold and offers a quantitative framework to strengthen integrated management and the sustainability of coffee production. Full article

The increasing global burden of cancer, together with the need for more sustainable resource management, has stimulated growing interest in the valorization of agro-industrial plant residues as sources of bioactive compounds with therapeutic potential. This review highlights the potential of plant by-products—including citrus peels, olive leaves, date palm residues, and tea and coffee processing wastes—as sustainable reservoirs of polyphenols and other phytochemicals with significant anticancer activity. Key compounds such as hesperidin and naringenin from citrus peels, oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol from olive leaves, quercetin and syringic acid from date palm residues, and chlorogenic acid and epigallocatechin gallate from tea and coffee by-products have demonstrated promising antitumor effects in both in vitro and in vivo studies. These molecules exert their activity through multiple mechanisms, including the inhibition of cancer cell proliferation, induction of apoptosis, regulation of the cell cycle, and modulation of major oncogenic signaling pathways such as PI3K/AKT, MAPK, NF-κB, and EGFR. For instance, hydroxytyrosol induces apoptosis and cell cycle arrest while inhibiting the PI3K/AKT and MAPK pathways. Quercetin limits metastasis and glycolysis and suppresses VEGF, PKM2, and AKT signaling. Ferulic acid suppresses tumor growth by inhibiting the PI3K/AKT and JAK2/STAT6 pathways, thereby promoting apoptosis (in vitro and in vivo). In addition to their pharmacological potential, the recovery of these compounds from plant waste supports circular economy strategies by reducing environmental impact and promoting the development of value-added products. Future research should focus on optimizing extraction methods, improving bioavailability and stability, and validating safety and efficacy through well-designed preclinical and clinical studies. Full article

The valorization of agricultural and food industry residues represents an important component of the circular bioeconomy, enabling the conversion of waste streams into value-added materials while mitigating environmental pollution. Spent coffee grounds (SCGs), a solid by-product generated during the extraction of coffee beans with hot water or steam, constitute an abundant lignocellulosic biomass residue. Due to their physicochemical properties, SCGs can be used as low-cost adsorbent materials for the treatment of metal-contaminated wastewater, offering a sustainable alternative to traditional synthetic resins. This review summarizes recent research on the application of SCGs for the removal of metal ions from aqueous systems. The adsorption performance of raw and modified SCGs, including materials obtained via carbonization and chemical functionalization, is comparatively evaluated. Furthermore, key operational parameters governing the adsorption process and the corresponding metal removal efficiencies are discussed. Full article

Spent coffee grounds (SCGs) are one of the most abundant agro-industrial by-products worldwide, with 650 kg generated per ton of green coffee processed, corresponding to an estimated global production of 6.7 million tons in 2022/2023. Improper disposal of SCG raises environmental concerns, while their reuse offers opportunities for sustainable resource management and circular economy strategies. This review examines SCG valorization by addressing their chemical composition, functional properties, and key applications in sectors such as food, agriculture, environmental remediation, bioenergy, and selected industrial fields, including pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, construction materials, and functional devices. In this context, it discusses technological approaches, performance outcomes, and implementation considerations, emphasizing the multifunctional potential of SCGs as a renewable feedstock capable of reducing waste, improving resource efficiency, and generating economic value. By consolidating the current state of knowledge and exploring diverse valorization pathways, this work frames SCG utilization within a circular bioeconomy framework and highlights how innovative applications can transform this widely available waste into sustainable and economically valuable products. Full article

Coffee leaf rust (Hemileia vastatrix) is a major constraint on coffee production, while reliance on chemical fungicides raises environmental concerns and may become less sustainable over time. This review critically analyzes the available evidence on the potential of Lecanicillium uredinophilum as a biological control agent against H. vastatrix, with comparative consideration of other microbial agents evaluated for coffee leaf rust management. A structured literature review was conducted using searches in Scopus and PubMed, complemented by manual searches and reference screening. The available evidence indicates that L. uredinophilum shows affinity for urediniospore structures and exhibits mycoparasitic activity against rust fungi under controlled conditions. However, direct evidence against H. vastatrix remains limited and is still concentrated mainly in laboratory and greenhouse studies. In comparison with more established biocontrol agents, L. uredinophilum should be regarded as a promising but still early-stage candidate whose practical relevance has not yet been validated. Future progress will depend on robust field-based studies, improved understanding of its mechanisms of action, evaluation of its environmental stability, and the development of viable formulations compatible with integrated disease management strategies. Full article