Sustainable Exploitation of Agro-Food Waste

The efficient use of agricultural and agro-industrial waste, i.e., converting waste materials into value-added products, is crucial to an effective bioeconomic strategy for sustainable development. A new value chain from agro-food waste is proposed, assessing the need to prioritize high-value by-products and based on the availability of effective and efficient technologies. Real-scale applications of controlled hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) in the processing of underutilized resources and agro-food waste are reviewed, due to their several advantages in shorter process times, higher energy efficiency, higher yields and enhanced extraction rates, and higher stability of the products, including superior retention of bioactive compounds. Part of this chapter focuses on the important case study of the integral valorization of citrus fruit processing waste, in particular citrus peels discarded by the juice industry, as a source of extremely valuable micronutrients, endowed with extraordinary antioxidant, broad-spectrum antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral activities.