Rapid repurposing of pulp and paper mills, biorefineries, and breweries for lignocellulosic sugar production in global food catastrophes

Fabrication and characterization of cellulose-based packaging films with polyethylene glycol and silver nanoparticles for enhanced antimicrobial efficacy

Silver-incorporated cellulose acetate (CA) and CA-polyethylene glycol (PEG) films were successfully fabricated. XRD, FTIR, TGA, SEM-EDS, and DRUV confirmed the formation of well-dispersed silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in the CA matrix. AFM analysis revealed that PEG improved surface smoothness, while AgNPs increased roughness and porosity. PEG also facilitated higher silver loading, promoting uniform AgNPs nucleation (<50 nm). Mechanical testing showed that PEG and AgNPs enhanced tensile strength from 4.31 MPa to 59.24 MPa, with PEG specifically improving flexibility. Water vapor permeability increased from 3.66 × 10-14 to 9.53 × 10-14 kg/m. s. Pa, improving moisture control. Antimicrobial assays demonstrated strong activity against E. coli (35 mm), S. aureus (28 mm), C. albicans (38 mm), and A. niger (35 mm), with a 99.99 % bacteriostatic efficiency for 20 % Ag-PEG-CA films. Migration tests confirmed no detectable silver release, ensuring safety for food contact. These findings highlight the potential of AgNP-CA films as antimicrobial and mechanically robust materials for food packaging applications.

Nonindustrial pretreatment and enzymes can yield sufficient calories from lignocellulosic biomass for human survival

Following a global catastrophe causing reduced sunlight, the environment would become unfavorable for crop growth. Under such conditions, people might need to convert inedible plant biomass into food to meet their daily nutritional requirements. However, the possibility of converting biomass into food under low-resource conditions has not been thoroughly studied. To address this uncertainty, we evaluated the potential for using resources available in a typical household to extract sugars from willow biomass and meet the carbohydrate needs of an adult. Grinding willow biomass in a household blender for 24 min produced willow particles similar to those produced in a laboratory-scale Wiley mill. Thermal treatments of these particles with hot water extraction, pressure cooking, or microwaving only extracted 0.5%-0.8% (w/w) glucose from the biomass. Household acid or alkali treatments yielded only 0.5% (w/w) glucose. These sugar yields would be insufficient to provide nutrition to an adult. In contrast, enzymatic hydrolysis of pretreated willow at 50°C for 72 h yielded 2%-8% (w/w) glucose, and pretreating willow with sodium hydroxide and pressure before enzymatic treatment increased glucose yields to 28% (w/w). With this pretreatment approach and subsequent enzymatic conversion, ~1.4 kg of biomass/day could potentially fulfill the energy needs of an adult under post-catastrophic conditions. We posit that while biomass can be successfully pretreated for enzymatic deconstruction at a household level, producing sufficient enzymes for efficient sugar extraction from inedible plant biomass in a post-catastrophic environment might not be feasible at the household scale, thus requiring community-scale infrastructure and coordination.

Nutritional Composition of Post-Catastrophic Foods

In addition to current challenges in food production arising from climate change, soil salinization, drought, flooding, and human-caused disruption, abrupt sunlight reduction scenarios (ASRS), e.g., a nuclear winter, supervolcano eruption, or large asteroid or comet strike, are catastrophes that would severely disrupt the global food supply and decimate normal agricultural practices. In such global catastrophes, teragrams of particulate matter, such as aerosols of soot, dust, and sulfates, would be injected into the stratosphere and block sunlight for multiple years. The reduction of incident sunlight would cause a decrease in temperature and precipitation and major shifts to climate patterns leading to devastating reductions in agricultural production of traditional food crops. To survive a catastrophic ASRS or endure current and future disasters and famines, humans might need to rely on post-catastrophic foods, or those that could be foraged, grown, or produced under the new climate conditions to supplement reduced availability of traditional foods. These foods have sometimes been referred to as emergency, alternate, or resilient foods in the literature. While there is a growing body of work that summarizes potential post-catastrophic foods and their nutritional profiles based on existing data in the literature, this article documents a list of protocols to experimentally determine fundamental nutritional properties of post-catastrophic foods that can be used to assess the relative contributions of those foods to a balanced human diet that meets established nutritional requirements while avoiding toxic levels of nutrients. © 2024 The Author(s). Current Protocols published by Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol 1: Total digestible glucans Basic Protocol 2: Apparent protein digestibility Basic Protocol 3: Vitamins B1, B3, B9, C, and D2 by HPLC Basic Protocol 4: Total antioxidant activity (DPPH-scavenging activity) Basic Protocol 5: Total phenolic compounds (Folin-Ciocalteu reagent method) Basic Protocol 6: Mineral content by ICP-OES.

Fabrication of a ternary biocomposite film based on polyvinyl alcohol, cellulose nanocrystals, and silver nanoparticles for food packaging

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were loaded on deprotonated cellulose nanocrystals (CNCd) and incorporated into polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) to develop novel active food packaging films. The AgNPs were fabricated using the liquid phase chemical reduction method using the sodium borohydride reductant of AgNO3. The analysis using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis) showed that the CNCd surface had a homogeneous distribution of AgNPs with a diameter of about 100 nm. Additionally, CNCd/Ag was successfully incorporated into the PVA film. The developed PVA/CNCd/Ag film showed significantly improved mechanical properties, thermal stability, and UV barrier properties compared to a neat PVA film. The PVA/CNCd/Ag composite film could significantly preserve bananas for 14 days, preventing deterioration and allowing extended storage periods. This composite film generally shows promise in food packaging and prolongs food's shelf life.

The Fragile State of Industrial Agriculture: Estimating Crop Yield Reductions in a Global Catastrophic Infrastructure Loss Scenario

Modern civilization relies on a complex, globally interconnected industrial agriculture system to produce food. Its unprecedented yields hinge on external inputs like machinery, fertilizers, and pesticides, rendering it vulnerable to disruptions in production and international trade. Such a disruption could be caused by large-scale damage to the electrical grid. Solar storms, nuclear detonations in the upper atmosphere, pandemics, or cyber-attacks, could cause this severe damage to electrical infrastructure. To assess the impact of such a global catastrophic infrastructure loss on major food crops (corn, rice, soybean, wheat), we employ a generalized linear model. The predictions show a crop-specific yield reduction between 15% and 37% in phase 1, the year after the catastrophe, assuming rationed use of fertilizers, pesticides, and fuel stocks. In phase 2, when all stocks are depleted, yields decrease by 35%-48%. Soybean is less affected in phase 1, while all crops experience strong declines in phase 2. Europe, North and South America, and parts of India, China, and Indonesia face major yield reductions, potentially up to 75%, while most African countries are less affected. These findings underscore the necessity for preparation by highlighting the vulnerability of the food system.

Global food insecurity and famine from reduced crop, marine fishery and livestock production due to climate disruption from nuclear war soot injection

Atmospheric soot loadings from nuclear weapon detonation would cause disruptions to the Earth’s climate, limiting terrestrial and aquatic food production. Here, we use climate, crop and fishery models to estimate the impacts arising from six scenarios of stratospheric soot injection, predicting the total food calories available in each nation post-war after stored food is consumed. In quantifying impacts away from target areas, we demonstrate that soot injections larger than 5 Tg would lead to mass food shortages, and livestock and aquatic food production would be unable to compensate for reduced crop output, in almost all countries. Adaptation measures such as food waste reduction would have limited impact on increasing available calories. We estimate more than 2 billion people could die from nuclear war between India and Pakistan, and more than 5 billion could die from a war between the United States and Russia—underlining the importance of global cooperation in preventing nuclear war.

Methane Single Cell Protein: Potential to Secure a Global Protein Supply Against Catastrophic Food Shocks

Global catastrophes such as a supervolcanic eruption, asteroid impact, or nuclear winter could cause global agricultural collapse due to reduced sunlight reaching the Earth's surface. The human civilization's food production system is unprepared to respond to such events, but methane single cell protein (SCP) could be a key part of the solution. Current preparedness centers around food stockpiling, an excessively expensive solution given that an abrupt sunlight reduction scenario (ASRS) could hamper conventional agriculture for 5-10 years. Instead, it is more cost-effective to consider resilient food production techniques requiring little to no sunlight. This study analyses the potential of SCP produced from methane (natural gas and biogas) as a resilient food source for global catastrophic food shocks from ASRS. The following are quantified: global production potential of methane SCP, capital costs, material and energy requirements, ramp-up rates, and retail prices. In addition, potential bottlenecks for fast deployment are considered. While providing a more valuable, protein-rich product than its alternatives, the production capacity could be slower to ramp up. Based on 24/7 construction of facilities, 7%-11% of the global protein requirements could be fulfilled at the end of the first year. Despite significant remaining uncertainties, methane SCP shows significant potential to prevent global protein starvation during an ASRS at an affordable price-US$3-5/kg dry.

Nutrition in Abrupt Sunlight Reduction Scenarios: Envisioning Feasible Balanced Diets on Resilient Foods

Abrupt sunlight reduction scenarios (ASRS) following catastrophic events, such as a nuclear war, a large volcanic eruption or an asteroid strike, could prompt global agricultural collapse. There are low-cost foods that could be made available in an ASRS: resilient foods. Nutritionally adequate combinations of these resilient foods are investigated for different stages of a scenario with an effective response, based on existing technology. While macro- and micronutrient requirements were overall met, some-potentially chronic-deficiencies were identified (e.g., vitamins D, E and K). Resilient sources of micronutrients for mitigating these and other potential deficiencies are presented. The results of this analysis suggest that no life-threatening micronutrient deficiencies or excesses would necessarily be present given preparation to deploy resilient foods and an effective response. Careful preparedness and planning-such as stock management and resilient food production ramp-up-is indispensable for an effective response that not only allows for fulfilling people's energy requirements, but also prevents severe malnutrition.