This study aims at analyzing the impact of water and soil conservation strategies on households? food security in the North-western part of Benin. It was conducted in the municipalities of Boukombé and Ouaké. Three villages were studied. From random way, 180 producers were investigated. The causes of soil degradation, water and soil conservation strategies, available food supply and food consumption frequency were collected. Degradation factors were analyzed using discourse analysis and prioritized using the Friedman test. Food supply and frequency of consumption were compared between beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries of the projects using the Student t test. Land degradation is caused by socio-cultural factors (overexploitation of lands, trees? cutting, late bush fires, grazing, agroforestry and monoculture) and natural factors (heavy rains and steep gradient of the soils). The first three factors are respectively the exploitation of land, trees? cutting and late bush fires practice in both towns. Food reserves before the new crops were not affected by exogenous strategies released by the erosion control projects. But the frequency of food consumption is improved statistically among project beneficiaries than non-beneficiaries. This confirms the theory of Boserup | E Janvier et al., 'Impacts of water and soil conservation strategies on households? food security in North West of Benin', International Journal of Agricultural Science Research, vol. 3(10), pp.196-202, Academe Research Journals, 2014

J Egah, 'Impacts of water and soil conservation strategies on households' food security in North West of Benin', International Journal of Agricultural Science Research, pp.196-202, 2014 | Th is study aims at analyzing the impact of water and soil conservatio n strategies on householdsâ?? food security in the North - western part of Benin. It was conducted in the municipalities of Boukombé and Ouaké. Three villages were studied. From random way, 180 producers were investigated. The causes of soil degradation, water and soil conservation strategies, available food supply and food consumption frequency were collected. Degradation factors were analyzed using discourse analysis and prioritized using the Friedman test. Food supply and frequency of consumption were compar ed between beneficiaries and non - beneficiaries of the projects using the Student t test. Land degradation is caused by socio - cultural factors (overexploitation of land s , trees â?? cutting , late bush fires, grazing, agroforestry and monoculture) and natural fa ctors (heavy rain s and steep gradient of the soils ). The first three factors are respectively the exploitation of land, trees â?? cutting and late bush fires practice in both towns. Food reserves before the new crops were not affected by exogenous strategies released by the erosion control projects. But the frequency of food consumption is improved statistically among project beneficiaries than non - beneficiaries. This confirms the theory of Boserup

Hydrophobic materials extracted from citrus wastes, both peel of mandarin fruits and leaf of mandarin trees were used to treat food-grade Kraft paper. The chemical compounds of the extracts were identified by gas chromatography–mass spectroscopy and infrared spectroscopy, and their antioxidant activities were determined using a free radical scavenger agent (2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate, DPPH). Water vapor permeability, air transmission rate, peroxide value, and microstructure of treated and original papers were also determined. The experimental results showed that: (i) most components of the peel or peel/leaf extracts were terpenes; (ii) free volume existed among cellulose macromolecule chains of the original paper, occupied by a part of extract materials, and another part of the extracts was formed a thin layer on the paper surfaces; and (iii) air and water barrier properties and antioxidant activity of the treated papers were improved, indicating that the extracts were efficient materials for food packaging applications.

The potential isolation of bio-active polysaccharides from bay tree pruning waste was studied using sequential subcritical water extraction using different time-temperature combinations. The extracted polysaccharides were highly enriched in pectins while preserving their high molecular mass (10–100 kDa), presenting ideal properties for its application as additive in food packaging. Pectin-enriched chitosan films were prepared, improving the optical properties (≥95% UV-light barrier capacity), antioxidant capacity (˃95% radical scavenging activity) and water vapor permeability (≤14 g·Pa⁻¹·s⁻¹·m⁻¹·10⁻⁷) in comparison with neat chitosan-based films. Furthermore, the antimicrobial activity of chitosan was maintained in the hybrid films. Addition of 10% of pectins improved mechanical properties, increasing the Young's modulus 12%, and the stress resistance in 51%. The application of pectin-rich fractions from bay tree pruning waste as an additive in active food packaging applications, with triple action as antioxidant, barrier, and antimicrobial has been demonstrated.

1. Colonies of the social caterpillar Eutachyptera psidii (Sallé) (Hymenoptera: Lasiocampidae) occurring on oak (Quercus) in upland forests of Mexico endure periods as long as 6 weeks, with little or no food or water between the time host trees shed their leaves in April and produce new leaves in June. 2. By monitoring the activity of both field and laboratory colonies with infrared activity monitors and data loggers, it was found that although colonies remain active during the period of deprivation, their foraging activity shifts from once nightly when food is available to once every second night when food-deprived. 3. Over a period of absolute food and water deprivation of 18 days, caterpillars lost an average of 36% of their initial mass but none perished. On average, the caterpillars regained their pre-starvation mass within a few days after food was provided and continued to grow thereafter. During the period of starvation, caterpillars were observed to chew on dead and dried leaves in the field and on sheets of paper in the laboratory. 4. To the authors' knowledge, there is no other documented instance of a species of caterpillar that exhibits the physiological capacity to engage in a similar level of persistent activity when forced to endure a prolonged period with neither food nor water.