The rural-urban divide is a key feature of modern societies, highlighting disparities in resources, opportunities, and development. Rural areas, dominated by agrarian economies, face challenges like low income, limited economic prospects, and vulnerability to external factors such as climate change. Urban centers, driven by industrialization and globalization, offer dynamic economic environments but are marked by their own inequalities, including overcrowding and inadequate services. The digital age has intensified these disparities, with rural communities lacking access to essential digital resources, exacerbating economic exclusion. The contrasting trajectories of rural and urban areas underscore the persistent challenge of achieving equitable development across geographic landscapes.

Punica granatum, popularly referred to as pomegranates, belongs to the Punicaceae monogeneric family and is primarily found in Iran. It is the most adaptable subtropical fruit crop, introduced to India in the fifteenth century from the Mediterranean region. Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan are the states where it is grown for commercial use. It contains significant phytochemical elements such as ellagic acid, ellagitannins, Punic acid, flavonoids, anthocyanins, estrogenic flavonoids, and flavones, it has a wide range of therapeutic applications. Treatments for ulcers, snakebites, liver damage, dysentery, diarrhoea, helminthiasis, acidosis, bleeding, and respiratory issues have all been linked to these ingredients. Additionally, sustainable farming methods that emphasize agronomic breakthroughs that improve pomegranate crop quality, productivity, and environmental resilience. Pomegranate nutritional integrity and biodiversity are mentioned as being strongly correlated with the use of organic and environmentally friendly farming practices. Pomegranates are becoming recognized as an important resource for improving both sustainable farming methods and human health. This review summarises all the cultivation practices, the bioactive components of pomegranates, and their nutritional qualities as functional foods, focusing on the fruit's peel, seed, and aril byproducts.

The benefits of adding medicinal plant extracts into the diet of silkworms (Bombyx mori L.) to improve their nutrition, enhance the quality and value of the silk they produce. Since silkworms play a crucial role in the sericulture industry, their diet directly influences their growth, health and silk quality. It has been found that adding plant extracts to mulberry leaf can lead to significant improvements, such as increased silkworm weight, better cocoon quality and higher resistance to diseases. Various studies have explored different plant extracts, demonstrating these additions not only promote health of silkworms but also result in superior silk production and hence offers a sustainable way to boost the profitability of sericulture.