Marcelino, S.; Hamdane, S.; Gaspar, P.D.; Paço, A. Sustainable Agricultural Practices for the Production of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants: Evidence and Recommendations. Sustainability2023, 15, 14095.
Marcelino, S.; Hamdane, S.; Gaspar, P.D.; Paço, A. Sustainable Agricultural Practices for the Production of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants: Evidence and Recommendations. Sustainability 2023, 15, 14095.
Marcelino, S.; Hamdane, S.; Gaspar, P.D.; Paço, A. Sustainable Agricultural Practices for the Production of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants: Evidence and Recommendations. Sustainability2023, 15, 14095.
Marcelino, S.; Hamdane, S.; Gaspar, P.D.; Paço, A. Sustainable Agricultural Practices for the Production of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants: Evidence and Recommendations. Sustainability 2023, 15, 14095.
Abstract
As the demand for aromatic and medicinal herbs increases, so does the pressure to intensify production, increasing the risk of overexploitation of these natural resources. Sustainability corresponds to the preservation of something that exists in the present and must be maintained in the future, implying accountability and obligation. However, in order to maintain the conditions and essential goods for the survival of future generations, consumers and businesses must commit to sustainable practices. The circular economy is considered one of the solutions to promote a sustainable system and can be defined as a transition from a linear model, where resources are transformed, used and discarded, to a circular (regenerative) model, where materials are reused whenever possible. An ecologically correct approach to waste reuse avoids the negative impacts associated with improper disposal of agro-industrial wastes, such as mass proliferation of microorganisms, production of greenhouse gases, loss of energy potential, and other negative impacts on the environment or human health. The objective of this study is to provide a compilation of good agricultural practices that promote sustainability in the production of medicinal and aromatic herbs, particularly in the areas of cultivation, harvesting, drying, extraction, and packaging, and to highlight the potential for evaluating processing residues in medicinal and aromatic herbs.
Keywords
Aromatic and medicinal herbs; Risk; sustainability; Harvesting; Shelf-life extension; Wastes.
Subject
Environmental and Earth Sciences, Sustainable Science and Technology
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
