Requirements for the development of a bioeconomy for chemicals

Sustainable development of new chemical compounds will be possible by the use of safe and renewable biomass. In this paper we discuss the following aspects that need to be taken into consideration: firstly the value chain from production to post-harvest treatments; secondly public health safety from new allergens, pests and diseases; thirdly the biorefinery concept, making use of all the biomass available and not just the high value sugar or oil; fourthly reliable supply of raw materials taking into account crop rotation strategies and possible synergies between edible and non-edible crops to reduce the competition between food and industrial applications; and finally the use of local biomass to produce chemicals when it makes sense to reduce risks and costs associated with storage and transportation.

Research highlights
► Sustainable development of new chemical compounds will be possible only by taking into account safety and security of the supply.
► To be sustainable, this new leap in technologies has to take into account the whole value chain, and impacts and production scenarios involving the farming industry.
► There are still a lot of benefits of using edible crops in making chemicals, such as logistics already in place, and minimized risks.
► There is still room for new crops, providing that they can bring unique properties and that they are cultivated in a well controlled manner.