Vinasse is a toxic pollutant if it is poured into the ecosystem indiscriminately; despite this, it integrates components that make it valuable in nutrients and water. However, its use has been questioned due to the costs involved in its purification. This systematic review focuses on the valorization of vinasse from the studies performed for its post-industrial use. Trends in vinasse management and bioproduct development were analyzed. The PRISMA statement was used as a formal guide for collecting and analyzing 131 studies from 2018 to 2022. We determined that biological processes are the most used to obtain the benefits of vinasse, obtaining up to three post-industrial bioproducts. While it is true that there is a predominant trend of studies focused on the generation of biofuels, it must be noted that the beginning of the sucro-alcohol chain was the agricultural field. In this sense, we determine that 14% of the studies treat vinasse for agricultural reuse purposes, so, under Circular Economy principles, the reincorporation of vinasse into the agricultural field to take advantage of its goodness in nutrients and minerals as a sustainable and eco-efficient alternative should be a research trend that accelerates the consumption of vinasse generated in alcohol distilleries.

Guaranteeing food security from agriculture in an uncertain context, derived from the effects of multiple factors, is a challenge. Traditional agricultural production is the one that faces the greatest challenges, derived from the scarce evolution in agricultural practices, despite being the one that contributes the most to the availability of food, at 80%. This systematic review aims to identify and analyze agrotechnological systems belonging to precision agriculture, which may be potentially adaptable to traditional rural agriculture. Contributions that improved crop yields from scientific and technological studies were analyzed. The PRISMA statement was used as a formal outline to collect and analyze 114 studies from the period 2018-2023. From the review, it was identified that there is a growing trend in the adoption of intelligent systems that help producers in the management of crops, accentuated in the increase of crop yield, in the determination of product quality, and in the management of water resources, mainly. Likewise, it was identified that the preponderant approach is the monitoring and control of crop development. This is achieved through emerging technologies, such as the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, and machine learning, with information mainly collected by sensors embedded in drones, algorithms, decision support systems, sensors, and Arduino technology systems. Finally, this review shows that there are five viable systems that can be adapted to traditional agriculture to strengthen agricultural production. Therefore, the adoption of scientific-technological contributions from precision agriculture contributes to ensuring food security.

Plastic pollution is an alarming issue; it is a phenomenon that, in addition to altering health, is capable of generating damage to the environment. It is estimated that only 8% of plastics are recycled and that 76% end up in landfill sites or are indiscriminately disposed of into the environment. “Single-use” plastics contribute the most to the generation of pollution due their short “life cycle” since after their useful life, they are discarded. Expanded Polystyrene (EPS), one of the plastics with the greatest use as a packaging material, has a complicated recycling process due to its volume and weight characteristics. Based on the above, following the Circular Economy model, the optimal development of an adhesive for the cut-sole union is addressed through the analysis by classified attributes using an orthogonal array L₉(3)⁴ of Taguchi. Of the factors under study, it was determined that the “adhesive formulation” is the factor that statistically significantly influences the degree of adhesion of the cut-sole, followed by the “type of sole”. The adhesive with post-consumer EPS is viable and contributes to minimizing the environmental pollution footprint as a strategy toward sustainability.

Vinasse is a waste generated from the sugarcane ethanol production process. It is an effluent that, when discharged into the environment, causes serious damage. This study evaluated the potential of vinasse as a regenerator of agricultural soil through Multi-Objective Genetic Algorithms (MOGAs). This study focused on optimizing the amount of vinasse that should be applied, depending on its composition and the needs of the agricultural land. The methodology included five phases where the properties of the cultivated land with and without vinasse were evaluated; with the experimental data, MOGAs were constructed to evaluate soil: (a) fertility, (b) quality, and (c) health. The vinasse was characterized; meanwhile, to understand how the soil behaves depending on the incorporation of vinasse, a factorial experiment was designed in soils where sugarcane is grown in Mexico. The models were built and optimized using MATLAB^® and evaluated using Pareto Front. This study showed that vinasse improved soil fertility, quality, and health, with an optimal ratio of mixture formed by 40% vinasse and 60% irrigation water. This ratio allows the development of appropriate soil conditions for the growth of the crop—this is achieved after the application of the vinasse during the preparation of the land for cultivation, which is reached at approximately 20 cm depth—(a) fertility with K of 150 to 230 mg/kg, P of 25 to 35 mg/kg, and N of 17 to 19 mg/kg; (b) quality with MC of 90 to 95%, OM of 3.5 to 4%, and pH of 6.5 to 7.5 UpH; and (c) health with equity of 78% to 80%, abundance of 75% to 80%, and diversity of 80% to 95%. A comparative analysis between an experimental field with and without vinasse showed a 24% increase (ton/ha) in sugarcane yield. The value of vinasse is highlighted, not only as a waste to be treated, but as a regenerative input aligned with the Circular Economy.

Las diversas medidas derivadas por la Declaratoria de Emergencia Sanitaria de aislamiento social y permanencia en casa por el COVID-19, han cambiado el ritmo y forma en la que se desenvuelven los procesos productivos. Es la cadena agroalimentaria, uno de estos sectores productivos que también ha sido afectada y que a pesar de ello no se ha detenido. En México, se considera que el 54% de la producción de alimentos recae en los pequeños productores de baja escala y que son generadores del 80% del empleo. Sí bien es cierto que no se ha detenido dicha cadena de valor también esta actividad productiva está sufriendo los estragos derivados del COVID-19, e.g., reducción de ingresos; aunado a esto, las United Nations considera que para el 2050 se tendrá que alimentar alrededor de 9 mil millones de personas, y que, la dietética de las personas está cambiando. Estos grandes desafíos a los que se enfrenta la producción agrícola rural de baja escala ponen en riesgo la seguridad alimentaria. Ahora bien, por la misma naturaleza del producto —perecedero— se requiere un minucioso seguimiento y control durante todo el proceso del cultivo, que garantice un producto de calidad. El presente artículo analiza e identifica las principales tecnologías de la Industria 4.0, que se emplean en la Agricultura de Precisión, desde una revisión de diferentes documentos de los últimos 5 años en base de datos como Scopus, Google Scholar, páginas web institucionales y repositorios científicos. El estudio realizado arroja que la Agricultura de Precisión, es posible mediante un monitoreo y control de los cultivos, y esto se logra con apoyo de la I4.0. Por lo que, la I4.0, provee herramientas inteligentes y que en tiempo real poseen la capacidad de procesar información compleja, convirtiéndose en un gran aliado del agro-productor a baja escala en el post-COVID-19.