10-03-2014, 04:50 PM
Nanotechnologies in Food & Agriculture: Potential Applications and Implications for Governance and Public Participation
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Why ‘Agrifood Nanotech?’
• The use of nanotechnology to develop beneficial foods and smart
packaging presents a huge commercial opportunity in agrifood sector.
• A Helmut Kaiser Consultancy report estimates the global nanotech
food market will exceed $20.4 billion by 2010.
• More than 180 applications in different stages of development and
several on market today.
• More than 200 companies around the world presently engaged in
agrifood nanotech R&D.
• Holds promise for more sustainable and safer methods of food & fiber
production, monitoring, and management.
Session Goals
• Provide background on:
– National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI)
– Nanotechnology Definition
– MSU Agrifood Nanotech Project
• Potential Applications of Nano in Food & Agriculture (‘Agrifood’)
• Key Governance & Participation Issues
• Explore with you the concerns & governance issues
you associate with the development and introduction
of agrifood nanotechnologies
What Is ‘Agrifood
Nanotechnology’ Workshop
• Presentations by 18 international panelists representing
government, NGOs, business & industry, labor, media, and
academic and technical disciplines
• Explore potential applications and their implications for
agrifood ‘governance’ and public participation in agrifood
governance systems
Potential & Emerging Applications:
‘Surrounding Food’
• ‘Smart’ Dust – Sensors, Fertilizers, Pesticides; ‘spot management’
• ‘Nano-Nose’ – e.g., monitor food spoilage, CAFO air quality, etc.
• Nano-microbial thin films – sense, signal microbial & chemical changes to food,
increase shelf life
• Conductive ‘Nano-Inks’ – direct printing of electronic circuits onto food packaging,
monitoring
• Nano-catalyst ceramics – prolong life of deep-fryer oils, reduces waste & cuts costs
• Nano-metal coatings of hollow microspheres – recoverable & reusable in waste
water filtration of animal and post-consumer wastes, food processing effluent.
• Nano-RFID – livestock ID, track/trace; retail monitoring upstream product control
– Concerns over data ownership/control; privacy/proprietary information;
downstream concentration of power