Bio-value chains for high-value products and compounds as an example for innovation and management for sustainable agroindustry

Abstract

The rapid rise in the use of natural resources and the emission of greenhouse gasses and extensive use of fertilizers to satisfy rising demand for food have led to a dynamic but unsustainable development even in agricultural areas. The principle of sustainability aims to conserve land, water and resources for future generations and to preserve the natural fertility of the soil. The BIVAC project seeks to develop novel, economically interesting products from residues streams produced in the agricultural sector. This surplus biomass could be very diverse. Residues are presently mostly returned to the fields, used in biogas plants or treated as waste. The material often contains valuable components, which could still be of use for the production in other companies. The project aims to determine which components can be found in these residue streams. To this end, different analytical methods are used ranging from photometric determinations to HPLC but also including determination of proteins using the Kjeldahl method or determination of parameters as dry matter, carbon and nitrogen content, analysis of heavy metals or the vitamin C content. The analyses carried out so far show that different residue streams contain candidate components that could be valuable for companies that do not primarily deal with agricultural products.