Seweta Srivastava

Managing Waste for a Cleaner Planet: Global Lessons in Sustainability – France

The case study series “Managing Waste for a Cleaner Planet: Global Lessons in Sustainability” highlights the contrasting challenges and opportunities faced in diverse socio-economic contexts. Additionally, it discusses the major challenges these countries face in achieving the goal of a significant reduction in food waste. This study assesses how the potential initiatives can lead us to achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production). The importance of adapting waste management strategies to local conditions while leveraging global best practices provides an actionable insight for policy makers, educators, and industries aiming for effective waste reduction. Therefore, reducing waste in the food sector and establishing appropriate waste management strategies are essential to promote the circular economy and effectively achieve the SDGs. These case studies were selected based on the large amount of waste generated, the potential for improvement, and the wide geographical scope. This case study was developed using published legislation, official government reports, OECD publications, Eurostat datasets, and peer-reviewed literature published between 2015 and 2025 to examine France’s food waste management policies and their implications for sustainable development. © The Authors 2026

Antifungal Potential of Streptomyces aquilus against Soil-Borne Phytopathogen Sclerotium rolfsii and Alternaria solani Using Qualitative HPLC Profiling Bioactive Metabolites

Isolation, Characterization of Streptomyces aquilus from Agricultural Soil and its Antifungal Activity Against Rhizoctonia solani

Streptomyces, a genus of Actinomycetes that is renowned for the production of various bioactive compounds especially antifungal compounds against phytopathogens. Rhizoctonia solani is a devastating soil-borne fungal pathogen responsible for significant yield losses in potato and several other crops. The current research aimed at the isolation and characterization of Streptomyces strains from agricultural soils and the assessment of their antifungal activity against R. solani. Nine rhizospheric soil samples collected from different agricultural crop fields yielded a total of eighteen Actinomycetes isolates. Primary screening against Rhizoctonia solani identified seven isolates with antagonistic activity. Secondary screening using crude ethyl acetate extracts revealed that isolates W1 (wheat soil isolate) and R1 (rice soil isolate) exhibited the strongest antifungal activity. The antifungal potential of the selected isolates was further evaluated through agar well diffusion, concentration-dependent growth inhibition assay, and fungicidal activity assessment. Isolates W1 and R1 had the highest zones of inhibition. Antifungal potential of the isolates was also measured by finding Concentration-dependent inhibition and Minimum Fungicidal Concentration (MFC) with the isolate W1 exhibiting the best antifungal activity. The isolate W1 was identified as Streptomyces aquilus by molecular identification via 16S rRNA gene sequencing method. The findings concluded that S. aquilus has great prospects of being a biocontrol agent to control the R. solani induced diseases in potato. This study identifies a sustainable and environmentally friendly way of managing plant diseases by utilizing the resources of soils in the form of microbes.