Designing and implementing a model for Food Security in Zayed University Carole Ayoub Moubareck PhD, M.Sc., B.Sc. Pharm Dubai International Nutrition Conference
We have a dream… Create a food system that is sustainable, fair, healthy Recycle food waste Produce healthy vegetables and fruits
We have a dream… Human-centered conceptual framework described as ME = WE S tudents become Leaders, and “Change Makers” in the field of food security.
UAE Food S ecurity Without relying on importations of the maj ority of food supplies Despite the multiple limitations arable land scant rainfall extreme temperatures in the summer
UAE Food S ecurity UAE population Multicultural society with diverse eating preferences expected to reach 11.5 millions by 2025 Increase in tourism ➢ Overall rise in demand for food
Food Wastage in UAE – A Key Food S ecurity Challenge 2.7 kilograms of waste including food waste are generated daily per capita in the UAE and this increases to 4.5 kilograms during Ramadan. UAE government goal is to recycle 75 per cent of food waste by 2021
KULNA FOOD PRODUCTION S YS TEM KULNA means ALL OF US in Arabic. Led by a transdisciplinary team including students, faculty, staff, community volunteers as well as local and international field experts at Zayed University is a prototype model that addresses current challenges related to food security, health, wellbeing and waste management in the UAE.
KULNA FOOD PRODUCTION S YS TEM Model based on the principles of Permaculture – building a permanent agriculture system that mimics a natural ecosystem in resilience and diversity. Encourages people to be food producers rather than only consumers.
KULNA FOOD PRODUCTION S YS TEM Creation of an Organic Food enriched soil Production
Creation of an enriched soil Organic FOOD WAS TE HEALTHY S oil
The COMPOS TING JOURNEY
Benefits of Composting Reducing Organic Food waste 1. Reducing Greenhouse gases 2. Replacing chemical fertilizers with 3. organic compost Improving water holding capacity by 4. retaining moisture in the soil Creating a sustainable food system 5.
How did the students prepare Compost in 6 steps? In a shady area of the COMPOS T ALLEY , they placed a wooden composting box and have put a layer of small twigs and tree branches to aerate the preparation. we can use plastic containers and put waste inside it, after making holes in all the sides to allow the air to go inside it.
How to prepare Compost in 6 steps? Placed organic food waste inside the composting bin. S pread soil or "already done" compost to incorporate decomposers (bacteria … ) and st art the degradation. Addition of decomposers was not compulsory.
S tudents adj usted the moisture in the compost pile. They added dry straw or sawdust to soggy materials or added water to compost piles that were too dry. S tudents allowed the mixture to "bake”. It heated up quickly and reached the desired temperature (32° to 60° C). The pile settled down from its original height after four to five days.
The students added organic waste and brown materials once a week. They mixed the compost to allow air to come inside it and speed up the process.
After 3 months, the compost looked like dark crumbly soil mixed with small pieces of organic material. It had a sweet and earthy smell.
Composting parameters C:N ratio the brown and green materials have to be added in the ratio of 3:1 to obtain a compost of good quality. Carbon (brown materials) is an energy source for microorganisms. Nitrogen (green materials) component of nucleic acids, proteins, enzymes and coenzymes.
The green ingredients used in compost Bananas Parsley Potatoes Carrots Egg plants Apples Watermelon Grass clipping Flower Etc …
The brown ingredients used in compost Brown leaves Newspapers Wood chips S traw
The ingredients that are not supposed to be in compost Garlic, onions or spicy peppers Citrus fruits: lemons, oranges, or their peels Diseased plants Cooking oil Meat or dairy products
Activators can be used to speed up the process Nitrogen rich ingredients Alfalfa meal Soil microorganisms, blend of microorganisms that contains bacteria and fungi etc … to speed up the process.
WHO are the decomposers? The decomposition is performed by micro- organisms, mostly bacteria, but also yeasts and fungi. In low temperature phases a number of macro- organisms, such as springtails, ants, nematodes, isopods and earthworms also contribute to the process, as well as soldier flies, fruit flies and lezards.
Twelve different compost samples were prepared over a period of 3 months. The compost samples had the fresh smell of the forest .
Analysis of the physico-chemical properties 60 % ORGANIC MATTER % 50 S tandard range is between 30 to 70% 40 All 12 samples organic matter between 38 to 50% 30 20 10 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Sample Number
MOISTURE % % 80 70 Typical mature compost moisture 60 content should be between 40-50% 50 S ample 3 and 11 were within the range S ample 5 and 12 were above the range 40 Remaining eight samples were below 30 the range 20 Low moisture content may be due to the mixing of samples with sand 10 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Sample Number
pH 8.6 pH is an indicator of the presence of organic acid intermediates that 8.4 smell bad. S tandard range for the pH of the 8.2 compost should be between 6 to 8 8.0 pH of all the samples were within the range except for the sample 1 7.8 which was 8.5 7.6 This slight basic pH is acceptable 7.4 7.2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Sample Number
Electrical Conductivity (EC) 6 S oluble S alts (EC) are mineral ions 5 that are naturally present in compost 4 standard range for EC in compost 3 ranges from 1 – 10 mS / cm 2 All our samples were within the range and had values between 1 to 1 5.1 mS / cm 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Sample Number
Macronutrients in the compost NITROGEN % % 0.16 0.14 S tandard range of the nitrogen in the finished compost ranges 0.12 between 0.5 to 2.5% . 0.10 Available Nitrogen in the compost 0.08 is LOW ranging from 0.02 to 0.15% 0.06 This indicates that our compost 0.04 still needs maturation. 0.02 0.00 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Sample Number
Excess sodium can lead to sodicity, SODIUM % % which is the ability of sodium to 0.50 disperse soil particles so that soil 0.45 structure is lost. 0.40 Compost containing more than 1% 0.35 sodium is considered to be quite 0.30 high in sodium. 0.25 All our samples were below 1% 0.20 with percentages ranging between 0.15 0.11 to 0.45% 0.10 0.05 0.00 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Sample Number
Potassium and Phosphorus Phosphorous and potassium are the essential nutrients for the plants. The amount required for the different plants are not yet standardized but their availability in the compost is beneficial. Potassium found in amount between 0.32 to 0.95% . Phosphorus found between 0.05 mg/ kg and 0.31 mg/ kg.
S tudy of the microbial diversity Fluorescent in sit u hybridization technique
Oligonucleotide probes used in this study Rank Probe name Target organism Phylum Actinobacteria HGC69a Class Bet42a Betaproteobacteria Class Gammaproteobacteria Gam42a Domain ARC915 Archaea Class NSO190 Beta-proteobacterial ammonia- oxidizing bacteria Genus NIT3 Nitrobacter species Genus NEU Most halophilic and halotolerant nitrosomonas species. Species, Genus NSR1156 Nitrospira moscoviensis, freshwater Nitrospira species
40 MICROBIAL DIVERSITY Average % 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 Actinobacteria Bet aproteobacteria Gammaproteobacteria Archaea Bet aproteobacterial Nitrobacter species Halophilic and Nitrospira species ammonia oxidizing halotolerant bacteria nitrosomonas species
MICROBIAL DIVERSITY Actinobacteria 40 27 % 35 Average % 30 Gram positive bacteria found 25 dominant 20 15 10 Production of extracellular enzymes 5 and bioactive metabolites which play a crucial role in the degradation of complex substrates such as lignocellulose.
MICROBIAL DIVERSITY Proteobacteria 40 21.8% 35 Average % 30 17.8% Gram negative bacteria 25 16.7% 20 15 Role in the degradation of 10 glucose, propionate and 5 butyrate. Role in the oxidation of ammonia.
Archaea help in the nitrification process and in the oxidation of ammonia. MICROBIAL DIVERSITY 40 Nitrospira species 35 Average % 30 important for nitrite 25 oxidation. 12.4% 20 9.5% 9.4% 15 8.5% Nitrobacter species 10 5 help in the oxidation of nitrite. Nitrosomonas species Help in the household waste composting process.
Recommend
More recommend
