Synergy in food, energy and advanced materials production from biomass

Abstract

Biomass is a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels, as a source of energy and raw materials for industry. However, this is often criticized, based on an alleged competition with food production due to the presumed scarcity of agricultural land. Data from Brazil and Ethiopia show that the creation and dissemination of new agricultural technology actually allows a significant increase in the production of food as well as energy and raw materials from biomass, bringing economic, social and environmental benefits. Moreover, polymers from biomass display unique features that make them suitable as the basis for making advanced materials, with desirable combinations of chemical and physical properties required for some applications. For instance, natural rubber and cellulose have been used to create new complex nanostructured solids capable of performing new functions. Biomass can thus be exploited as a source of new materials as well as petrochemical-like building blocks.