{"id":5705,"date":"2018-05-18T12:40:14","date_gmt":"2018-05-18T10:40:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.besustainablemagazine.com\/cms2\/?p=5705"},"modified":"2018-05-28T16:35:39","modified_gmt":"2018-05-28T14:35:39","slug":"marginal-lands-for-growing-industrial-crops-turning-a-burden-into-an-opportunity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.besustainablemagazine.com\/cms2\/marginal-lands-for-growing-industrial-crops-turning-a-burden-into-an-opportunity\/","title":{"rendered":"Marginal Lands for Growing Industrial Crops: Turning a Burden into an Opportunity"},"content":{"rendered":"

Industrial crops can provide\u00a0abundant renewable\u00a0biomass feedstocks for the\u00a0production of high-added-value\u00a0bio-based commodities\u00a0(i.e. bio-plastics, bio-lubricants,\u00a0bio-chemicals, pharmaceuticals,\u00a0bio-composites, etc.) and\u00a0bioenergy. They can be broadly\u00a0categorised as oil, lignocellulosic,\u00a0carbohydrate or specialty crops.\u00a0Most of them are multipurpose\u00a0crops offering the opportunity\u00a0to follow a cascade bio refinery\u00a0concept to produce a number\u00a0of value added bio products and\u00a0bioenergy, thus feeding the bio\u00a0based economy. Prospectively,\u00a0industrial crops can increase\u00a0and diversify farmers\u2019 income\u00a0through access to novel bio-based\u00a0markets (i.e. bulk and\u00a0fine chemical, biomaterial or\u00a0bioenergy industries, amongst\u00a0others), and the possibility\u00a0to exploit marginal land with\u00a0limited value for conventional\u00a0agriculture.<\/span><\/p>\n

In recent years, a\u00a0debate has emerged regarding\u00a0food security and land use for\u00a0bioenergy\/industrial non-food\u00a0crops. Cultivating industrial\u00a0crops on marginal land\u00a0unsuitable for food production\u00a0is consistently proposed as a\u00a0viable alternative to minimize\u00a0land-use competition for food\u00a0production, and its adverse\u00a0effects (direct or indirect) on\u00a0food security, land based GHG\u00a0emissions and biodiversity\u00a0loss. The term \u2018marginal land\u2019\u00a0has entered the wider political\u00a0debates, and today biofuel crops\u00a0are generally promoted and\u00a0supported on marginal land;\u00a0nonetheless, marginal land has\u00a0been not yet unequivocally\u00a0defined, and there is not a clear\u00a0information on where, when and\u00a0how much genuine marginal\u00a0land is available.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Figure<\/a>
Figure 1 \u2013 MAGIC explores the cultivation of industrial crops on marginal lands to avoid land use competition with food.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Several studies agree on the\u00a0existence of ~1,350,000 hectares\u00a0of land in Europe deemed less\u00a0favourable for conventional\u00a0agriculture. This land has been\u00a0either abandoned because of\u00a0its productivity, or it is used\u00a0as grassland. MAGIC project\u00a0(Figure 1) is based on the\u00a0premise that cultivation of\u00a0selected industrial crops on areas\u00a0<\/span>facing natural constraints (e.g.\u00a0extreme climatic conditions, low\u00a0soil productivity, steep slope,\u00a0etc.) can i) ensure the production\u00a0of resource-efficient feedstocks,\u00a0with low indirect land-use change\u00a0(iLUC), for a growing bio-based\u00a0industry, and ii) increase farmers\u2019\u00a0incomes through access to new\u00a0markets and the revalorization\u00a0of marginal land.<\/span><\/p>\n

It has been\u00a0estimated that as many as 2.5\u00a0million potentially contaminated\u00a0sites exist across Europe, whose\u00a0management cost (81% only\u00a0for remediation) is about \u20ac 6.5\u00a0billion per year. In MAGIC,\u00a0contaminated and degraded\u00a0soils will also be included as\u00a0it is well documented that the\u00a0proportion of these land-types is\u00a0increasing due to anthropogenic\u00a0activities. Contaminated soils\u00a0cannot be used for food or feed\u00a0production for sanitary reasons\u00a0and thus provide great potential\u00a0for the production of biomass for\u00a0material or energy use.\u00a0In this context, MAGIC project\u00a0aims towards the development\u00a0of resource-efficient and\u00a0economically profitable\u00a0industrial crops to be grown\u00a0on marginal land. In the long\u00a0term, this strategy will foster\u00a0the sustainable development of\u00a0the EU bio-based economy and\u00a0will contribute to achieving EU\u00a0energy and climate targets.<\/span><\/p>\n

The concept begind the MAGIC project<\/span><\/h4>\n

A current estimate of marginal\u00a0land of various types existing\u00a0in Europe is about 1,350,000\u00a0ha, either abandoned because\u00a0its productivity is too low to\u00a0provide enough income to\u00a0farmers, or as underused land by\u00a0farmers whose income is hardly\u00a0above their opportunity costs.\u00a0Agriculture on marginal land\u00a0with existing (food) crops has\u00a0few chances to improve as the\u00a0crops used are not well adapted\u00a0to marginal conditions. A large\u00a0number of industrial crops have\u00a0been tested on both EU and\u00a0national projects for bio-based\u00a0products and energy. Most of\u00a0these crops are reported as crops\u00a0with ability to grow on marginal\u00a0land. Thus, the idea to use this\u00a0land for growing industrial crops\u00a0as feedstock for the bio-based\u00a0industry has the advantage that\u00a0will not affect the food vs fuel\u00a0competition. Moreover, part\u00a0of the marginal land has been\u00a0recorded as contaminated and\u00a0polluted being inappropriate for\u00a0food and feed crops growing\u00a0for sanitary reasons, but can be\u00a0exploited for industrial crops\u00a0cultivation.<\/span><\/p>\n

In 4FCROPS and Crops2Industry\u00a0projects the industrial crops\u00a0were categorized to: oil crops,\u00a0perennial grasses, fibre crops,\u00a0woody species, carbohydrate\u00a0crops and other specialty crops.\u00a0In MAGIC the industrial crops\u00a0will be categorised in four\u00a0groups: a) the oil crops (camelina,\u00a0crambe, lesquerella, cuphea,\u00a0castor, safflower, flax, etc.), b)\u00a0the lignocellulosic crops that\u00a0will include the fibre crops (flax,\u00a0hemp, kenaf, nettle, biomass\u00a0sorghum, etc.), the perennial\u00a0herbaceous crops (switchgrass,\u00a0giant reed, miscanthus, reed\u00a0canary grass, etc.) and the\u00a0woody species (willow, poplar,\u00a0eucalyptus, robinia, etc.) c) the\u00a0carbohydrate crops (biomass\u00a0sorghum, cereals, sugar beet,\u00a0etc.) and d) specialty crops.\u00a0Several of the above mentioned\u00a0crops are multi-purpose ones\u00a0like hemp, flax and cardoon.\u00a0It should be pointed out that\u00a0a large number of specialty\u00a0crops with pharmaceutical and\u00a0nutraceuticals uses are oil crops.<\/span><\/p>\n

There is an increasing need\u00a0for biomass feedstock for\u00a0industrial uses in Europe and\u00a0quite important research has\u00a0been carried out as early as the\u00a0beginning of 1990\u2019s for a large\u00a0number of industrial crops as\u00a0a feedstock for value added\u00a0bio-products (biochemicals,\u00a0biomaterials, etc.) and bioenergy;\u00a0however, their insertion into\u00a0European agricultural practice\u00a0is still limited. A large number of\u00a0projects for industrial crops have\u00a0been funded and outstanding\u00a0innovations have been achieved\u00a0from production to the end use.\u00a0On the other hand, the market\u00a0share for bio-based products in\u00a0EU28 presents a fast growing\u00a0trend, as a result of the increased\u00a0awareness and product availability\u00a0in the EU markets. Much R&I\u00a0efforts has been made in recent\u00a0years to produce biofuels (e.g.\u00a02nd generation bioethanol) from\u00a0industrial crops. Europe has a few\u00a0small companies specialised in\u00a0bio-based products and several\u00a0major chemical companies\u00a0developing bio-based applications.\u00a0At this point, it is worthwhile\u00a0to mention that in 2010 the\u00a0European chemical industry used\u00a0about 8-10% renewable materials\u00a0to produce various chemical\u00a0substances and polymers.\u00a0For the revival of rural areas in\u00a0regions with marginal lands, new\u00a0options need to be developed\u00a0ensuring higher economic\u00a0margins for farmers, while, at the\u00a0same time providing products\u00a0that can compete in the market.\u00a0Such new options can come from\u00a0the production of industrial raw\u00a0materials from crops that have\u00a0a high resilience to marginal\u00a0conditions.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Figure<\/a>
Figure 2: Overall MAGIC concept.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This offers at least five advantages:<\/span>
\n \u2022 Enable Europe to increase\u00a0domestic production of\u00a0feedstocks for the growing\u00a0EU bio-based economy\u00a0reducing its dependence on\u00a0imports.<\/span>
\n \u2022 Improve the livelihoods in\u00a0marginal areas by placing\u00a0abandoned marginal land in\u00a0use again, thus improving\u00a0farm income.<\/span>
\n \u2022 Mitigate the competition\u00a0between the production of\u00a0bio-based raw materials and\u00a0food production.<\/span>
\n \u2022 Creating new business\u00a0models for value chains,\u00a0leading to economic growth\u00a0and job creation.<\/span>
\n \u2022 Mitigate environmental\u00a0and ecological risks by soil\u00a0abandonment such as soil\u00a0erosion and natural hazards\u00a0(avalanche, fire and flood\u00a0risk).<\/span><\/p>\n

MAGIC builds on the idea\u00a0of sustainable exploitation of\u00a0marginal lands for the cultivation\u00a0of industrial crops, with low\u00a0ILUC effects, offering both\u00a0resource-efficient varieties for\u00a0attractive industrial applications\u00a0and diversification of farmers\u2019\u00a0revenues through access to new\u00a0markets (Figure 2).<\/span><\/p>\n

MAGIC consortium<\/span><\/h4>\n

MAGIC consists of proponents,\u00a0pioneers and key players within\u00a0the academic and commercial\u00a0domain of sustainable\u00a0production-chains for industrial\u00a0crops (breeding-agronomyharvesting-\u00a0logistics-conversion\u00a0and end-uses) on marginal\u00a0land. MAGIC will capitalise\u00a0the outstanding experience and\u00a0knowledge gained by partners\u00a0in previous and on-going\u00a0projects on industrial crops and\u00a0marginal land maximising its\/\u00a0their impact beyond completion,\u00a0avoiding duplications. MAGIC\u00a0will complement those projects\u00a0by strengthening the knowhow\u00a0of the MAGIC consortium\u00a0within the context of industrial\u00a0crops on marginal land for a\u00a0growing bioeconomy. Most of\u00a0the partners are pioneers in the\u00a0field of industrial crops and have\u00a0coordinated or participated on\u00a0the key research projects that\u00a0had been funded at EU level\u00a0with a total budget around of 400\u00a0million \u20ac.\u00a0The MAGIC consortium (25\u00a0partners from 12 European\u00a0countries) consists of: research\u00a0organisations\/institutes, universities, SMEs, farmers\u2019\u00a0cooperatives, farming\u00a0consultants and major industry\u00a0players. A multi-actor forum\u00a0will also be established including\u00a0EU and international NGOs and\u00a0policy makers having an advisory\u00a0role. Ultimately, this \u201cteam-up\u201d of\u00a0key players corresponds to a first\u00a0attempt at stream-lining efforts\u00a0from various fields of knowledge\u00a0to create a framework for the\u00a0exploitation of marginal land\u00a0for the production of industrial\u00a0crops. MAGIC aims to put all\u00a0the pieces of the puzzle together\u00a0in the creation of sustainable\u00a0bio-based production chains on\u00a0marginal land.<\/span><\/p>\n

For further information visit MAGIC website<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This article is by\u00a0Efthymia Alexopoulou, CRES, Greece.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\"nuova-immagine-9\"<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

This project has received funding\u00a0from the European Union\u2019s Horizon\u00a02020 research and innovation\u00a0programme under grant\u00a0agreement No 727698.\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Industrial crops can provide\u00a0abundant renewable\u00a0biomass feedstocks for the\u00a0production of high-added-value\u00a0bio-based commodities\u00a0(i.e. bio-plastics, bio-lubricants,\u00a0bio-chemicals, pharmaceuticals,\u00a0bio-composites, etc.) and\u00a0bioenergy. They can be broadly\u00a0categorised as oil, lignocellulosic,\u00a0carbohydrate or specialty crops.\u00a0Most of them are multipurpose\u00a0crops…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":5848,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3,10],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.besustainablemagazine.com\/cms2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5705"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.besustainablemagazine.com\/cms2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.besustainablemagazine.com\/cms2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.besustainablemagazine.com\/cms2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.besustainablemagazine.com\/cms2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5705"}],"version-history":[{"count":21,"href":"https:\/\/www.besustainablemagazine.com\/cms2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5705\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6064,"href":"https:\/\/www.besustainablemagazine.com\/cms2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5705\/revisions\/6064"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.besustainablemagazine.com\/cms2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5848"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.besustainablemagazine.com\/cms2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5705"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.besustainablemagazine.com\/cms2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5705"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.besustainablemagazine.com\/cms2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5705"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}