The development of easy-to-use and accurate methods to assess the intake of energy, foods and nutrients in pre-school children is needed. KidMeal-Q is an online food frequency questionnaire developed for the LifeGene prospective cohort study in Sweden. The aims of this study were to compare: (i) energy intake (EI) obtained using KidMeal-Q to total energy expenditure (TEE) measured via doubly labelled water and (ii) the intake of certain foods measured using KidMeal-Q to intakes acquired by means of 24 h dietary recalls in 38 children aged 5.5 years. The mean EI calculated using KidMeal-Q was statistically different (p &lt: 0.001) from TEE (4670 ± 1430 kJ/24 h and 6070 ± 690 kJ/24 h, respectively). Significant correlations were observed for vegetables, fruit juice and candy between KidMeal-Q and 24 h dietary recalls. Only sweetened beverage consumption was significantly different in mean intake (p &lt: 0.001), as measured by KidMeal-Q and 24 h dietary recalls. In conclusion, KidMeal-Q had a relatively short answering time and comparative validity to other food frequency questionnaires. However, its accuracy needs to be improved before it can be used in studies in pre-school children.

For the thesis composition were prepared four scientific manuscripts based on studies with mineral release, absorption, metabolism and balance, and water intake of beef cattle. In the first manuscript the objective was to quantify the dry matter (DM) digestibility and total ash (TA) and mineral release from 12 concentrate and 12 forage feedstuffs commonly fed to cattle using in situ and in vitro methods. The concentrate and forage feedstuffs were incubated in the rumen of ruminally cannulated beef bulls at 8 different time points. Two different trials were conducted for concentrates and forages, with maximum incubation time of 72 and 120 h, respectively. The residue from samples incubated for 24 h were treated with pepsin and HCl to simulate abomasum digestion. The initial and residual samples after in situ and in vitro incubations were measured. An asymptotic model was adopted for estimating solubility of minerals, degradation rate of DM, and TA. Correlations between feedstuff contents and mineral release were evaluated. Cluster analysis was performed to group feedstuffs, in relation to TA release. Large variability was observed between concentrate and forage feedstuffs for all analyzed constituents. Large variability was observed for the effective ruminal degradation of TA, and individual mineral release. When feedstuffs were clustered according with the α, β and kd estimates of TA ruminal release, 4 groups were identified. From group “1” to group “4” was observed an increase in the soluble fraction, and a reduction in both moderate releasable fraction and release rate. Neutral detergent fiber content has a negative correlation with mineral release in the rumen, while mineral content has positive correlation. These results demonstrate that mineral solubilization in digestive tract is not the limiting factor to mineral absorption from the feedstuffs tested. The objectives of the second and third manuscripts were to measure the effects of mineral supplementation on nutrient intake and digestibility, performance, mineral balance and requirements and mineral concentrations in the body of Nellore beef cattle fed with and without calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P) and micromineral (MM) supplemental sources during the growing and finishing phases. Nellore cattle (n = 51, initial body weight = 270.4 ± 36.6 kg, age = 8 months) were assigned to one of three vigroups: reference (n = 5), maintenance (n = 4), and performance (n = 42). Reference group was slaughtered at the beginning of the experiment to measure initial mineral status. The maintenance group was used to collect values of animals at low gain and reduced mineral intake. Animals of performance group were assigned to one of six treatments: sugarcane as a roughage source and a soybean meal and soybean hull-based concentrate with (SH100) and without (SH0) Ca, P and MM supplementation; sugarcane as the roughage source and a soybean meal and ground corn-based concentrate with (SC100) and without (SC0) Ca, P and MM supplementation; and corn silage as the roughage source with a soybean meal and corn-based concentrate with (CS100) and without (CS0) Ca, P and MM supplementation. The experiment was conducted as a completely randomized design with a 3 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. Nutrient intake and digestibility, bone and serum parameters related to Ca and P metabolism, and liver mineral concentrations were measured. Orthogonal contrasts were adopted to compare mineral intake, fecal and urinary excretion and apparent retention among treatments. Maintenance requirements and true retention coefficients were generated with the aid of linear regression between mineral intake and mineral retention. Mineral composition of the body and gain requirements were assessed using non-linear regression between body mineral content and mineral intake. Nutrient intake, digestibility and performance were not affected by mineral factor (P > 0.10). Intakes of Ca, P, S, Cu, Zn, Mn, Co, and Fe were reduced in the absence of Ca, P, and MM supplementation (P < 0.05). Fecal excretion of Ca, Cu, Zn, Mn, and Co were also reduced in treatments without supplementation (P < 0.01). Overall, excretion and apparent absorption and retention coefficients were reduced when minerals were not supplied (P < 0.05). Rib bone breaking strength and densitometry were reduced (P < 0.04) in absence of supplementation. Metatarsus parameters were not affected (P > 0.10). Liver Cu content was reduced (P < 0.01) in diets without supplementation. Dietary mineral requirements were lower for P, Cu, and Zn and greater for Fe when compared to previously published recommendations.Therefore, absence of mineral supplementation does not influence intake and performance of Nellore beef cattle. However, this absence may influence serum, liver and bone parameters according to dietary type. This study provides useful information about mineral requirements and mineral supplementation to obtain adequate dietary mineral supply of Nellore cattle in tropical conditions. In the fourth manuscript, the objective was to validate six current water intake (WI) equations for beef cattle using water intake data from four experiments conducted in North America (n = 1 experiment; crossbred Angus beef steers) and Brazil (n = 3 viiexperiments; Nellore beef cattle). Animal performance, diet composition, and environmental data were collected for all experiments. The prediction of WI using the current published WI equations was tested though the regression between predicted and measured WI values. All tested equations differed from the measured WI data from the four experiments. Several factors can help explain why the published equations did not predict the WI obtained from the three experiments, including that the tested equations were developed in temperate climates using predominantly Bos taurus taurus. From the current data, was generated new WI equations based on metabolic BW, DMI, humidity and temperature-humidity index for Nellore cattle in Brazil and metabolic BW, DMI, maximum daily temperature, and dietary concentrate level for Angus crossbred cattle in North America | Para esta tese foram preparados quatro artigos científicos baseados em estudos de liberação de minerais de alimentos para ruminantes, absorção, metabolismo e equilíbrio de minerais para bovinos de corte, e ingestão de água de bovinos de corte. No primeiro artigo, o objetivo foi quantificar a digestibilidade da matéria seca (MS) e a disponibilidade de cinzas totais (CT) e liberação dos minerais de 12 alimentos concentrados e 12 volumosos comumente adotados em dietas para ruminantes, utilizando métodos in situ e in vitro. Os alimentos foram incubados no rúmen de machos não castrados por 8 deferentes tempos. Foram realizados dois ensaios, um para concentrados e outro para volumosos, com tempo máximo de incubação de 72 e 120 h, respectivamente. O resíduo das amostras incubadas durante 24 h foi tratado com pepsina e ácido clorídrico para simular a digestão no abomaso. As amostras iniciais e residuais após incubação in situ e in vitro foram avaliadas quanto aos teores de MS, CT e minerais. Um modelo assintótico foi adotado para estimar a liberação dos minerais, e as taxas de degradação da MS e CT. Foram avaliadas as correlações entre os teores nos alimentos e a liberação de cada mineral. “Clusteres” foram formados para agrupar os alimentos, em relação à liberação de CT. Observou-se grande variabilidade entre os alimentos concentrados e volumosos para todos os constituintes analisados. Grande variabilidade foi observada para a degradação ruminal efetiva da CT e para a liberação de cada mineral. Quando os alimentos foram agrupados de acordo com as estimativas α β e kd da liberação ruminal de CT, foram identificados 4 grupos. Do grupo "1" para o grupo "4", observou- se um crescimento na fração solúvel e uma redução na fração de liberação lenta e na taxa de liberação. O conteúdo de fibra de detergente neutro apresentou uma correlação negativa com a liberação de mineral no rúmen, enquanto o conteúdo de minerais apresentou correlação positiva. Esses resultados demonstram que a solubilização mineral no trato digestivo não é o fator limitante para a absorção mineral dos alimentos testados. Os objetivos do segundo e terceiro artigos foram medir os efeitos da suplementação mineral sobre ingestão de nutrientes e digestibilidade, desempenho, balanço e exigência de minerais, e concentrações de minerais no corpo de bovinos de corte Nelore alimentados com ou sem cálcio (Ca), fósforo (P ) e fontes suplementares de microminerais (MM) durante as fases de crescimento e terminação. Os animais (n = 51, Nelore, peso corporal inicial = 270,4 ± 36,6 kg, idade = 8 meses) foram atribuídos a um dos três grupos: referência (n = 5), mantença (n = 4) e desempenho (n = 42) . O grupo referência foi abatido no início do experimento para estimar a composição corporal dos demais animais. O grupo mantença foi utilizado para coletar valores de animais com baixos ganho corporal e ingestão de minerais. Os animais do grupo de desempenho foram designados para um dos seis tratamentos: cana-de-açúcar como volumoso e concentrado a base de farelo de soja e casca de soja com (SH100) e sem (SH0) suplementação de Ca, P e MM; Cana-de-açúcar como volumoso e concentrado a base de farelo de soja e milho moído com (SC100) e sem (SC0) suplementação de Ca, P e MM; e silagem de milho como volumoso e concentrado a base de farelo de soja e milho moído com (CS100) e sem (CS0) suplementação de Ca, P e MM. O experimento foi conduzido como um delineamento inteiramente casualizado com um arranjo fatorial 3 × 2, sendo 3 tipos de dietas e presença ou ausência de suplementação inorgânica de minerais. O consumo e digestibilidade de nutrientes, os parâmetros ósseos e séricos relacionados ao metabolismo de Ca e P e as concentrações hepáticas de minerais foram mensurados. Para avaliar a ingestão de cada mineral, a excreção fecal e urinária e a retenção aparente entre os tratamentos, contrastes ortogonais foram adotados. As exigências de mantença e os coeficientes de retenção verdadeiros foram calculados com o auxílio da regressão linear entre o consumo e a retenção de cada mineral. A composição mineral do corpo e as exigências para ganho de peso foram avaliados, utilizando modelos não lineares entre o conteúdo corporal e o consumo de cada mineral. Os consumos, digestibilidade e desempenho de nutrientes não foram afetados pelo fator mineral (P > 0,10). Os consumos de Ca, P, S, Cu, Zn, Mn, Co e Fe foram reduzidas na ausência de suplementação de Ca, P e MM (P < 0,05). A excreção fecal de Ca, Cu, Zn, Mn e Co também foi reduzida em tratamentos sem suplementação (P < 0,01). Em geral, os coeficientes de absorção e retenção aparentes foram reduzidos quando os minerais não foram fornecidos (P < 0,05). A resistência à ruptura dos ossos da costela e a densitometria óssea foram reduzidas (P < 0,04) na ausência de suplementação. Os parâmetros do metatarso não foram afetados (P > 0,10). O conteúdo de Cu no fígado foi reduzido (P < 0,01) em dietas sem suplementação. As exigências totais dos minerais foram menores para P, Cu e Zn e maiores para o Fe quando comparados às recomendações previamente publicadas. Portanto, a ausência de suplementação mineral não influencia o consumo e o desempenho de bovinos Nelore não castrados em confinamento. No entanto, esta ausência pode influenciar parâmetros séricos, hepáticos e ósseos de acordo com o tipo de dieta. Este estudo forneceu informações úteis sobre as exigências minerais e estratégias de fornecimento adequado de minerais para bovinos Nelore em condições tropicais. No quarto artigo, o objetivo foi validar seis equações já publicadas para predição da ingestão de água (IA) para bovinos de corte usando dados coletados em quatro experimentos realizados no Norte do Colorado (n = 1 experimento, novilhos de raça Angus) ou no Sudeste do Brasil (n = 3 experimentos, bovinos de corte Nelore). Características relacionadas ao desempenho animal, à composição da dieta e aos dados ambientais foram coletados em todos os experimentos. A predição de IA usando as equações publicadas atualmente foi testada através da regressão entre os valores previstos e mensurados. Todas as equações testadas diferiram dos dados observados. Vários fatores podem ajudar a explicar o porquê das equações publicadas não predizerem acuradamente a IA. Um dos fatores é que as equações testadas foram desenvolvidas em ambientes de clima temperado usando predominantemente animais Bos taurus taurus. A partir dos dados coletados no presente estudo, foram geradas novas equações baseadas no peso corporal metabólico, consumo de MS, umidade relativa e índice de temperatura e umidade para bovinos Nelore confinados no Sudeste brasileiro e baseadas no peso corporal metabólico, consumo de MS, temperatura máxima diária e nível de inclusão de concentrado na dieta para bovinos mestiços Angus no Norte do Colorado | Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico

Sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA) faces twin challenges of water stress and food insecurity – challenges that are already pressing and are projected to grow. Sub‐Saharan Africa comprises 43 % arid and semi‐arid area, which is projected to increase due to climate change. Small‐scale, rainfed agriculture is the main livelihood source in arid and semi‐arid areas of SSA. Because rainfed agriculture constitutes more than 95 % of agricultural land use, water scarcity is a major limitation to production. Crop production, specifically staple cereal crop production, will have to adapt to water scarcity and improved water productivity (output per water input) to meet food requirements. We propose inclusion and promotion of drought‐tolerant cereal crops in arid and semi‐arid agro‐ecological zones of SSA where water scarcity is a major limitation to cereal production. Sorghum uniquely fits production in such regions, due to high and stable water‐use efficiency, drought and heat tolerance, high germplasm variability, comparative nutritional value and existing food value chain in SSA. However, sorghum is socio‐economically and geographically underutilized in parts of SSA. Sorghum inclusion and/or promotion in arid and semi‐arid areas of SSA, especially among subsistence farmers, will improve water productivity and food security.

Fecal-oral pathogens are transmitted through complex, environmentally mediated pathways. Sanitation interventions that isolate human feces from the environment may reduce transmission but have shown limited impact on environmental contamination. We conducted a study in rural Bangladesh to (1) quantify domestic fecal contamination in settings with high on-site sanitation coverage; (2) determine how domestic animals affect fecal contamination; and (3) assess how each environmental pathway affects others. We collected water, hand rinse, food, soil, and fly samples from 608 households. We analyzed samples with IDEXX Quantitray for the most probable number (MPN) of E. coli. We detected E. coli in source water (25%), stored water (77%), child hands (43%), food (58%), flies (50%), ponds (97%), and soil (95%). Soil had >120 000 mean MPN E. coli per gram. In compounds with vs without animals, E. coli was higher by 0.54 log₁₀ in soil, 0.40 log₁₀ in stored water and 0.61 log₁₀ in food (p < 0.05). E. coli in stored water and food increased with increasing E. coli in soil, ponds, source water and hands. We provide empirical evidence of fecal transmission in the domestic environment despite on-site sanitation. Animal feces contribute to fecal contamination, and fecal indicator bacteria do not strictly indicate human fecal contamination when animals are present.

Latin American and the Caribbean countries have one of the world?s largest sources of renewable energy. Nonetheless, it estimated that nearly three-quarters of their energy consumption relies on the use of fossil fuels, with most of the countries being net importers, ultimately imposing a marked economic and political dependence on those energy commodities. Therefore, the opportunity lies in a higher utilization of various renewable energy resources, which contribute to the country?s energy security while promoting significant environmental benefits. This manuscript aimed to provide a comparative analysis of current energy scenarios of six Latin American countries (Mexico, Honduras, Nicaragua, Brazil, Chile and Ecuador) to evaluate their policies, programs and strategies implemented in the search for greater participation of renewable energy, with a special attention to biogas. Given the importance of the water-energy-food nexus that could foment the use of renewable energies under conditions of water scarcity, a qualitative data comparison was accomplished, considering biogas production potential, biogas projects and CO2 emissions.

Fecal-oral pathogens are transmitted through complex, environmentally mediated pathways. Sanitation interventions that isolate human feces from the environment may reduce transmission but have shown limited impact on environmental contamination. We conducted a study in rural Bangladesh to (1) quantify domestic fecal contamination in settings with high on-site sanitation coverage; (2) determine how domestic animals affect fecal contamination; and (3) assess how each environmental pathway affects others. We collected water, hand rinse, food, soil, and fly samples from 608 households. We analyzed samples with IDEXX Quantitray for the most probable number (MPN) of E. coli. We detected E. coli in source water (25%), stored water (77%), child hands (43%), food (58%), flies (50%), ponds (97%), and soil (95%). Soil had >120 000 mean MPN E. coli per gram. In compounds with vs without animals, E. coli was higher by 0.54 log10 in soil, 0.40 log10 in stored water and 0.61 log10 in food (p < 0.05). E. coli in stored water and food increased with increasing E. coli in soil, ponds, source water and hands. We provide empirical evidence of fecal transmission in the domestic environment despite on-site sanitation. Animal feces contribute to fecal contamination, and fecal indicator bacteria do not strictly indicate human fecal contamination when animals are present.

Environmental sustainability agenda are generally compromised by energy, water, and food production resources, while in the recent waves of global financial crisis, it mediates to increase the intensity of air pollutants, which largely affected the less developing countries due to their ease of environmental regulation policies and lack of optimal utilization of economic resources. Sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries are no exception that majorly hit by the recent global financial crisis, which affected the country’s natural environment through the channel of unsustainable energy-water-food production. The study employed panel random effect model that addresses the country-specific time-invariant shocks to examine the non-linear relationship between water-energy-food resources and air pollutants in a panel of 19 selected SSA countries, for a period of 2000–2014. The results confirmed the carbon-fossil-methane environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) that turned into inverted U-shaped relationships in a panel of selected SSA countries. Food resources largely affected greenhouse gas (GHG), methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions while water resource decreases carbon dioxide (CO₂), fossil fuel, and CH₄ emissions in a region. Energy efficiency improves air quality indicators while industry value added increases CO₂ emissions, fossil fuel energy, and GHG emissions. Global financial crisis increases the risk of climate change across countries. The study concludes that although SSA countries strive hard to take some “good” initiatives to reduce environmental degradation in a form of improved water and energy sources, however, due to lack of optimal utilization of food resources and global financial constraints, it leads to “the bad” and “the ugly” sustainability reforms in a region.

Enhancing local production is key to promoting food security, especially in rural households of low-income countries, but may conflict with limited natural resources and ecosystems preservation. We propose a framework integrating the water-food nexus and a sustainable livelihoods perspective to assess small-scale food production in water-poor regions. We demonstrate it by assessing alternative production scenarios in the Gaza Strip at different spatial scales. At the scale of a single farm, there is a clear conflict among objectives: while cash crops ensure good incomes but contribute scarcely to domestic protein supply, crops performing well from the nutritional and environmental viewpoint are among the worst from the economic one. At the regional scale, domestic production might cover an important fraction of nutritional needs while contributing to household income, but water scarcity impairs the satisfaction of food demand by domestic production alone. Pursuing food security under multiple constraints thus requires a holistic perspective: we discuss how a multidimensional approach can promote the engagement of different stakeholders and allow the exploration of trade-offs between food security, sustainable exploitation of natural resources and economic viability.

The Nile is the lifeblood of northeastern Africa, and its roles for and interdependency with the national economies it traverses and binds together grow as it moves from source to sea. With rapid economic development—population growth, irrigation development, rural electrification, and overall economic growth—pressures on the Nile’s water resources are growing to unprecedented levels. These drivers of change have already contributed to stark changes in the hydropolitical regime, and new forms of cooperation and cross-sectoral collaboration are needed, particularly in the Eastern Nile Basin countries of Egypt, Ethiopia, Sudan, and South Sudan. As direct sharing of water resources is hampered by unilateral developments, the need has increased for broader, cross-sectoral collaboration around the water, energy, and food sectors. This study is conducted to assess and understand the challenges of and opportunities for cooperation across the water-energy-food nexus nationally in Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan, as well as regionally across the Eastern Nile. To gather data, the paper uses an e-survey supplemented with key informant interviews geared toward national-level water, energy, and agriculture stakeholders, chiefly government staff and researchers. Findings from the survey tools suggest that most respondents strongly agree that collaboration across the water, energy, and agriculture sectors is essential to improve resource management in the region. At the same time, there is ample scope for improvement in collaboration across the water, energy, and food sectors nationally. Ministries of water, energy, and food were identified as the key nexus actors at national levels; these would also need to be engaged in regional cross-sectoral collaboration. Respondents also identified a wide range of desirable cross-sectoral actions and investments—both national and regional—chiefly, joint planning and operation of multipurpose infrastructure; investment in enhanced irrigation efficiency; joint rehabilitation of upstream catchments to reduce sedimentation and degradation; and investment in alternative renewable energy projects, such as wind and solar energy. | Non-PR | IFPRI1; CRP5; E Building Resilience | EPTD; DSGD | CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE)

Pesticide helps to enhance agricultural production, however, it significantly affect both socio and environmental entities of a country. In Nigeria, pesticide is widely used, thus its traces have been detected in water, soil and air. Several studies have already indicated that most of the environmental ecology (air, water, and soil) in Nigeria has been contaminated by persistent organic pesticides like organochlorine and organophosphate. Other reasons of high pesticide residues present in Nigeria environment is due to inappropriate dosage applied of pesticides that leaves behind excess. However, its residues are found above safety levels in the air, water, and soil across the nation. Based on previous analysis, it is indicated that 125,000-130,000 metric ton pesticides are being applied annually in Nigeria. Despite banned of some pesticides such as dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane- and -Hexachlorocyclohexane, they are still being used by farmers in their agricultural production. Many of the Class 1 (high extremely toxic) pesticides are still being used in developing countries like Nigeria. Hence, there is need to sensitize and educate the general public especially the end-users (farmers) particularly on management practices of pesticides. Considering these entire hazardous situations, in this article the history of pesticide used in Nigeria has been reviewed in detail. The article also discussed the effects of pesticide use in Nigerian waters, soil and on crops. The risk of residual pesticide on agricultural workers, pesticide residue risk preventive measures by the Federal Government of Nigeria, banned and restricted pesticides in Nigeria, Nigerian Government and its efforts to eliminate persistent organic pesticides in use are also reviewed in details.