| Biobased economy should be about more than just biofuels |
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While working on a USDA grant application for the Biomass R&D program, it quickly became apparent that two key phrases stood out as important - "high value" and "diverse feedstocks." USDA recognized in this program what many advocates of the bio-economy have been embracing for a long time - there is the opportunity not only to increase biodiversity, but also to discover new entrepreneurial opportunities in a business environment that has trended toward monocultures and consolidation. The history of modern agriculture reveals the positive impact of visionaries who saw opportunity for new crops or value-added uses for existing crops. George Washington Carver introduced peanuts, a new crop which dramatically reversed nutrient loss and erosion, while Henry Ford developed plastics made from existing agricultural feedstock, thereby offering a high-value, non-food product. Now, almost 100 years later, the momentum generated by the production of biofuels has stimulated a serious discussion of "high value" (biobased products) and "diverse feedstocks" (new crops). Bookmark this page!      |
| Source: | farms.com |
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