EIP-AGRI Focus Group Sustainable industrial crops: Final report

Industrial crops can have many benefits, including carbon sequestration, displacement of fossil fuels, improving profit margins for farmers, and enhancing utilisation of marginal and contaminated land. They can also help farmers in the transition to organic and sustainable farming, as many crops work well with organic fertilisers using regenerative methods to care for soil. The use of industrial crops as sources of raw materials for traditionally petroleum-based products, like polymers and solvents, will facilitate a shift to more sustainable consumption of resources. The key question of this Focus Group was how industrial crops can contribute to new market opportunities, business models and sustainable farming systems, which create value for farmers in the EU, while not replacing food production. This report presents the outcomes of the Focus Group discussions, along with suggestions for Operational Groups and areas for further research.