Difference between revisions of "Agricultural Processing"

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About 30% of global energy is consumed by the agricultural and food sector. Primary agricultural consumes only about 20%, whilst food processing including transport uses around 40% and thereby significantly contributes to global energy consumption along agricultural value chains.<references /> Processing of food includes the '''transformation of basic materials into food''', for example wheat into flour and flour into bread or the production of palm oil out of raw material, which can then be used for cooking. By processing, food can be turned into other, '''[http://www.fao.org/docrep/t0207e/t0207e07.htm easier digestible forms of food]''', for example through cooking (boiling or frying). Furthermore, food is processed in order to preserve it. '''Preservation techniques '''can be drying, sugaring, curing, cooling and freezing, heating, smoking, canning or bottling. Food processing techniques can increase the market value of a good, its storage life and its nutritional value. Devices used for the processing of food<br/>
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= Overview<br/> =
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About 30 per cent of the energy used worldwide goes into the production and processing of food from field to table. The vast majority of it comes from fossil fuels, being responsible for some 20 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions . Primary agriculture consumes only about 20 per cent, whilst '''food processing '''including transport uses around 40 per cent and thereby significantly contributes to global energy consumption along agricultural value chains (<span class="reference-text">FAO, 2011. Energy-Smart Food for People and Climate – Issue Paper).</span><br/><span class="reference-text"></span><br/>Especially in emerging countries, the rapidly growing agro-industry faces the challenge to cover its energy needs within processing. In India for example, the installed capacity of the fruit and vegetable processing industry has been doubled between 1993 and 2006. Energy consumption of the Indian food processing industry (including the production of meat, fish, fruit, vegetables and oil, beverages, products by grain mills and dairies, and other foods such as bakery products, convenience products, cocoa products or salty snacks) requires 5,300 kilotons of oil equivalent per year.<br/><br/>Most energy is consumed by processes of washing and cleaning, cooking, cooling, extraction, pureeing, brewing, baking, pasteurizing, boiling, drying and dehydration. With regards to ​​meat, fish, fruit, vegetables and edible oil, electrical energy accounts for about 50 per cent of energy consumption, especially for preservation and processing. In further segments such as beverages and other foods a high proportion of the required energy is needed for heating processes – which to a large extent is delivered by petroleum and biomass.<br/><br/>Broadly, the most energy intensive activities are drying, cooling, postharvest and storage, food and beverage processing. Especially in developing countries, demand for cooling is increasing rapidly, where [[Solar Cooling|solar powered cooling]] is an option.<br/><br/>
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= Drying<br/> =
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Agricultural products can be dried open-air or unimproved, directly in the sun, with biomass or solar dryers. Open-air<br/>or unimproved drying means that products&nbsp;are exposed to the sun and wind, placed in trays, on racks, or on the<br/>ground. The advantage of drying products this way is its low cost - the farmer does not have to spend anything (or only little) on fuel&nbsp;or appliances. However, the dried products are often of lower quality due to contamination with dust, vermin’s and leafs, as well as varying temperature levels (incl. rainfall patterns).<br/>
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*Read more on [[Solar Drying|Solar Drying]].<br/>
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= Cooling<br/> =
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*[[Solar Cooling|Solar Cooling]]<br/>
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= Practical Experiences<br/> =
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*[[Modern Solar Drying in Afghanistan|Modern Solar Drying in Afghanistan]]<br/>
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*[[Shea Nut Butter Production in Burkina Faso|Shea Nut Butter Production]]<br/>
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*[[Renewable Energy for Food Preparation and Processing - WISIONS|Further Reading]]<br/>
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*[[Tomato Processing by Solar Energy|Tomato Processing by Solar Energy]] (GIZ and TAMPA)
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*[[Smart Grid on Main Street: Electricity and Value-added Processing for Agricultural Goods|Smart Grid on Main Street (Rural Haiti)]]<br/>
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= <br/>Background Information<br/> =
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Energy Consumption in the Processing of Food:<br/>
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*[[Energy for Agriculture|Energy for Agriculture: Processing]]<br/>
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*[[Energy within Food and Agricultural Value Chains|Energy within Food and Agricultural Value Chains]]<br/>
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*[[Energy Needs in Smallholder Agriculture|Energy Needs in Smallholder Agriculture]]<br/>
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<br/>GHG-emissions:<br/>
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*[[Greenhouse-Gas Emissions from the Production and Processing of Food|GHG-emissions from the Production and Processing of Food]]<br/>
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<br/>Publications<br/>
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*[http://www.fao.org/docrep/014/i2454e/i2454e00.pdf Energy Smart Food for People and Climate, Issue Paper (FAO 2011)]<br/>
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= <br/>Further Information<br/> =
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*[[Portal:Productive_Use|Productive Use Portal on energypedia]]
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*[[Portal:Water and Energy for Food|Water and Energy for Food (WE4F) portal on energypedia]]
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[[Category:Renewable_Energy]]
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[[Category:Cooling]]
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[[Category:Powering_Agriculture]]
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[[Category:Agriculture]]
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[[Category:Productive_Use]]

Latest revision as of 19:15, 14 July 2020

Overview

About 30 per cent of the energy used worldwide goes into the production and processing of food from field to table. The vast majority of it comes from fossil fuels, being responsible for some 20 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions . Primary agriculture consumes only about 20 per cent, whilst food processing including transport uses around 40 per cent and thereby significantly contributes to global energy consumption along agricultural value chains (FAO, 2011. Energy-Smart Food for People and Climate – Issue Paper).

Especially in emerging countries, the rapidly growing agro-industry faces the challenge to cover its energy needs within processing. In India for example, the installed capacity of the fruit and vegetable processing industry has been doubled between 1993 and 2006. Energy consumption of the Indian food processing industry (including the production of meat, fish, fruit, vegetables and oil, beverages, products by grain mills and dairies, and other foods such as bakery products, convenience products, cocoa products or salty snacks) requires 5,300 kilotons of oil equivalent per year.

Most energy is consumed by processes of washing and cleaning, cooking, cooling, extraction, pureeing, brewing, baking, pasteurizing, boiling, drying and dehydration. With regards to ​​meat, fish, fruit, vegetables and edible oil, electrical energy accounts for about 50 per cent of energy consumption, especially for preservation and processing. In further segments such as beverages and other foods a high proportion of the required energy is needed for heating processes – which to a large extent is delivered by petroleum and biomass.

Broadly, the most energy intensive activities are drying, cooling, postharvest and storage, food and beverage processing. Especially in developing countries, demand for cooling is increasing rapidly, where solar powered cooling is an option.

Drying

Agricultural products can be dried open-air or unimproved, directly in the sun, with biomass or solar dryers. Open-air
or unimproved drying means that products are exposed to the sun and wind, placed in trays, on racks, or on the
ground. The advantage of drying products this way is its low cost - the farmer does not have to spend anything (or only little) on fuel or appliances. However, the dried products are often of lower quality due to contamination with dust, vermin’s and leafs, as well as varying temperature levels (incl. rainfall patterns).


Cooling



Practical Experiences




Background Information

Energy Consumption in the Processing of Food:


GHG-emissions:


Publications


Further Information