Valorisation of Natural Resources and the Need for Economic and Sustainability Assessment: The Case of Cocoa Pod Husk in Indonesia

Abstract

The uptake of innovative technologies and practices in agriculture aimed at the valorisation of natural resources can be scant in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs). Integration of financial viability assessments with farmers and environmental evaluations can help to understand some aspects of the low uptakes of innovations. Using the case study of Cocoa Pod Husk (CPH) valorisation in Indonesia, we provide insights into (i) a choice modelling method to assess the economic viability of CPH valorisation and (ii) an agronomic trial assessing the consequences on soil quality of diverting CPH from its role as a natural fertilizer. The economic viability assessment suggested that farmers require higher levels of compensation than might be expected to collect or process CPH (a small proportion of farmers would undertake all processing activities for 117 GBP/t CPH). The agronomic trial concluded that CPH plays only a minor role in the maintenance of soil phosphorus, calcium and magnesium, but it plays an important role for crop potassium. CPH removal would reduce the partial balances for carbon and nitrogen by 15.6% and 19.6%, respectively. Diversion of CPH from current practices should consider the long-term effects on soil quality, especially because it might create increased reliance on mineral fertilizers.

Organosolv Pretreatment of Cocoa Pod Husks: Isolation, Analysis, and Use of Lignin from an Abundant Waste Product

“…While detailed LCA, techno-economic, and agronomic analysis of the reported process is outside the scope of this report, a recently reported study discusses several key aspects of developing a conceptual novel value chain from CPH (which could lead to a number of products, such as modified lignin or lignin-derived aromatics, ethanol, food ingredients, etc.). 33 This report assessed (i) the economic viability of CPH valorization from a farmer’s perspective and (ii) the consequences on soil quality of diverting CPH from its role as a natural fertilizer through an agronomic trial.…”

“…While detailed LCA, techno-economic, and agronomic analysis of the reported process is outside the scope of this report, a recently reported study discusses several key aspects of developing a conceptual novel value chain from CPH (which could lead to a number of products, such as modified lignin or lignin-derived aromatics, ethanol, food ingredients, etc.). 33 This report assessed (i) the economic viability of CPH valorization from a farmer's perspective and (ii) the consequences on soil quality 65,66 The TGA curve for CPH lignin was directly comparable with the control lignin sample prepared from an alkyne without a phosphorus-containing unit (Figure S11), emphasizing the importance of the Pcontaining DOPO motif in the char formation and not the triazole motif. The char residues recovered after thermogravimetric analysis are shown (inset); CPH lignin and a second control lignin (Figure S11) gave little to no residue, while Lignin-DOPO gave a pellet of char.…”

“…The husk is usually left on the farm to biodegrade. However, the value of this practice is contested, as it may have an overall negative impact by allowing proliferation of the “ cacao disease trilogy”. , Some cocoa farmers are considering preparing and selling CPH for alternative uses if collection is feasible and the price is sufficient . In terms of the current technology associated with CPH biorefining, reports have focused on the analysis and application of carbohydrate components, , particularly studies on CPH pectin. − Here, while a number of fractions from the biomass are considered, we focus instead on the CPH lignin component.…”

Cocoa Bean Shell: A By-Product with High Potential for Nutritional and Biotechnological Applications

“…CBS is the main by-product of chocolate industries, separated from the cotyledons during the pre-roasting process or after the roasting process [17]. In recent years, there has been a growing interest in obtaining value-added products from CBS, with applications in the food, cosmetic, pharmaceutical or biofuel sectors not only due to its specific characteristics but also because its exploitation can be economically attractive [18][19][20][21]. Previous reviews related to CBS have been specifically focused on particular aspects of this by-product, namely, its role in human health [7], its use as a source of bioactive compounds [11,16] or its utilization in food products.…”

EFICIENCIA DE UN BIOL ELABORADO A PARTIR DE RESIDUOS DE COSECHA EN LA PRODUCCIÓN DEL CACAO (Theobroma cacao L.), CLON TSH 565 EN UNA PLANTACIÓN ORGÁNICA AGROFORESTAL

“…Estos residuos orgánicos contienen nutrientes y compuestos bioactivos en cantidades importantes; la cáscara de cacao, por ejemplo, contiene altos niveles de potasio (Djali et al, 2018;Picchioni et al, 2020). El tratamiento de estos residuos mediante digestión anaeróbica constituye un metodo eficaz para la elaboración de abonos orgánicos debido a que el mucıĺago de cacao es bueno para el desarrollo microbiano, contiene una rica composición de azucares y minerales.…”