Week of the Circular Economy: Agricultural sector as the basis for circularity

From March 17 through March 24, Circular Economy Week will take place. Much of it is about maximizing the reuse and/or up-cycling of raw materials in industry. What is sometimes underplayed is that 'fresh' raw materials will always be necessary, with the agricultural sector almost always proving to be at the base. What is currently going on?

Subtitle photo (LLTB photo):The application possibilities for regionally grown crops and/or residual streams are numerous. Within Platform Nieuwe Teelten the application of Miscanthus in sustainable substrates for horticulture, among others, is being investigated.

An important movement is that of redesigning the construction chain. Biobased materials, in which fiber crops are the basis, play a major role in this. 'After all, renewable, plant-based raw materials appear to be perfect replacements for more traditional (fossil) raw materials in numerous (building) materials,' says LLTB project leader Patrick Lemmens. 'Now that the market is cautiously taking off, the share of Dutch-grown fiber crops in these materials is also growing.' Their use reduces the overall environmental impact in the construction chain. For example, raw materials do not have to be transported from great distances, are 'renewable' and directly capture CO2.

In 2024, dozens of acres of fiber hemp, miscanthus and fast-growing wood were already being grown in Limburg for numerous unique applications. Horticulture is also deploying these (regionally available) raw materials as a sustainable alternative in growth substrates.

Regional raw materials for healthy food

The (human food) market is also looking for raw materials with a reduced environmental impact. 'This can be seen in 'short chain' initiatives, deployment of smart technology against food waste and the renewed opportunities for cultivation, processing and application of protein crops. This is also visible in our province," Lemmens says. 'Legumes like field bean are appearing more in the fields again, also resulting in healthier soil and fewer imports.'

Agriculture as a source of green gas

Despite the issue of grid congestion, work on developing future energy sources continues unabated. Lemmens: "An important route in this is also the production and use of green gas. The basis for this energy carrier lies in agriculture, among other things. By using animal and/or vegetable residual streams as a source for fermentation, the sector is also at the basis of a sustainable future here.'

Cooperation

The LLTB sees the role of the agricultural sector in the energy and raw materials transition as indispensable and, together with local and regional authorities, is trying to maximize opportunities for the production of, among other things, green gas and the cultivation of sustainable crops. To further develop these opportunities, the LLTB is the leader of the New Crops Platform and the Horticultural Residue Streams Platform and is proactively working on new systems and forms of cooperation within the energy transition.

For more information on the above, please contact plemmens@lltb.nl.

This is an article from New Harvest.