Bioelectrochemical systems (BESs) for agro-food waste and wastewater treatment, and sustainable bioenergy-A review

Producing food by farming and subsequent food manufacturing are central to the world's food supply, ac-counting for more than half of all production. Production is, however, closely related to the creation of large amounts of organic wastes or byproducts (agro-food waste or wastewater) that negatively impact the environ-ment and the climate. Global climate change mitigation is an urgent need that necessitates sustainable devel-opment. For that purpose, proper agro-food waste and wastewater management are essential, not only for waste reduction but also for resource optimization. To achieve sustainability in food production, biotechnology is considered as key factor since its continuous development and broad implementation will potentially benefit ecosystems by turning polluting waste into biodegradable materials; this will become more feasible and common as environmentally friendly industrial processes improve. Bioelectrochemical systems are a revitalized, prom-ising biotechnology integrating microorganisms (or enzymes) with multifaceted applications. The technology can efficiently reduce waste and wastewater while recovering energy and chemicals, taking advantage of their biological elements' specific redox processes. In this review, a consolidated description of agro-food waste and wastewater and its remediation possibilities, using different bioelectrochemical-based systems is presented and discussed together with a critical view of the current and future potential applications.

Automated summary

Farming and food manufacturing contribute more than half of the world's food production, but they also generate large amounts of organic wastes and byproducts that harm the environment and climate. Proper management of agro-food waste and wastewater is crucial for waste reduction and resource optimization. Biotechnology, particularly bioelectrochemical systems, offers promising solutions for efficiently reducing waste and recovering energy and chemicals. This review provides an overview of agro-food waste and wastewater remediation possibilities using bioelectrochemical-based systems, discussing current and future potential applications.