Showing all 13
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RCI Paper on „The Use of Food and Feed Crops for Bio-based Materials and the Related Effects on Food Security“ – Short Version (PDF)
NewMarkets & Economy, Policy, Sustainability & Health, Technology
2 Pages
297 Downloads297 Downloads
2023-11
FREE
297
DownloadsPromoting Evidence-based Debates and Recognising Potential Benefits
This short version of the scientific paper highlights on two pages new insights into a hotly debated topic and urges for careful and evidence-based debates.
The paper aims to show that the well-known biomass debate is flawed, subjective and not fully based on evidence. What is detrimental to food security are, according to the World Food Programme in 2023, climate change, conflict, extreme inequalities in wealth distribution, heavy dependence on food imports from industrial countries, overconsumption of meat, losses along the value chain and the impact of the COVID pandemic. Competition between biomass uses is not mentioned among the relevant causes.
The use of biomass for industrial applications, does have the potential to replace fossil feedstocks and thus contribute to the urgently needed reduction of fossil carbon emissions into our atmosphere to mitigate climate change.
While not denying the dire need to combat world hunger, the authors of the paper argue that using food and feed crops for chemicals and materials will not necessarily exacerbate food insecurity, and in fact has the potential to cause multiple benefits for local and global food security, climate mitigation and other factors:
- The climate wins – Bio-based materials are part of the solution to achieve climate change mitigation.
- Land productivity wins – The competition between applications is not for the type of crop grown, but for the land.
- The environment wins – due to increased resource efficiency and productivity of food and feed crops.
- Farmers win – because they have more options for selling stock to different markets.
- Market stability wins – due to increased global availability of food and feed crops.
- Feed security wins – due to the high value of the protein-rich co-products of food and feed crops.
- Food security wins – due to the increased overall availability of edible crops that can be stored and flexibly distributed.
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Graphic of the scientific paper „The Use of Food and Feed Crops for Bio-based Materials and the Related Effects on Food Security“ (PNG)
Markets & Economy, Policy, Sustainability & Health, Technology
1 Page
65 Downloads65 Downloads
2023-06
FREE
65
DownloadsPromoting Evidence-based Debates and Recognising Potential Benefits
The graphic shows the multiple potential benefits of using food and feed crops for bio-based materials, in terms of climate, land productivity, environment, farmers, market stability, feed security and food security.
- The climate wins – Bio-based materials are part of the solution to achieve climate change mitigation.
- Land productivity wins – The competition between applications is not for the type of crop grown, but for the land
- The environment wins – due to increased resource efficiency and productivity of food and feed crops.
- Farmers win – because they have more options for selling stock to different markets.
- Market stability wins – due to increased global availability of food and feed crops.
- Feed security wins – due to the high value of the protein-rich co-products of food and feed crops.
- Food security wins – due to the increased overall availability of edible crops that can be stored and flexibly distributed.
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The Use of Food and Feed Crops for Bio-based Materials and the Related Effects on Food Security – Long Version (PDF)
Markets & Economy, Policy, Sustainability & Health, Technology
36 Pages
846 Downloads846 Downloads
2023-06
FREE
846
DownloadsPromoting Evidence-based Debates and Recognising Potential Benefits
This scientific paper highlights new insights into a hotly debated topic and urges for careful and evidence-based debates.
The paper aims to show that the well-known biomass debate is flawed, subjective and not fully based on evidence. What is detrimental to food security are, according to the World Food Programme in 2023, climate change, conflict, extreme inequalities in wealth distribution, heavy dependence on food imports from industrial countries, overconsumption of meat, losses along the value chain and the impact of the COVID pandemic. Competition between biomass uses is not mentioned among the relevant causes.
The use of biomass for industrial applications, does have the potential to replace fossil feedstocks and thus contribute to the urgently needed reduction of fossil carbon emissions into our atmosphere to mitigate climate change.
While not denying the dire need to combat world hunger, the authors of the paper argue that using food and feed crops for chemicals and materials will not necessarily exacerbate food insecurity, and in fact has the potential to cause multiple benefits for local and global food security, climate mitigation and other factors:
- The climate wins – Bio-based materials are part of the solution to achieve climate change mitigation.
- Land productivity wins – The competition between applications is not for the type of crop grown, but for the land.
- The environment wins – due to increased resource efficiency and productivity of food and feed crops.
- Farmers win – because they have more options for selling stock to different markets.
- Market stability wins – due to increased global availability of food and feed crops.
- Feed security wins – due to the high value of the protein-rich co-products of food and feed crops.
- Food security wins – due to the increased overall availability of edible crops that can be stored and flexibly distributed.
DOI No.: https://doi.org/10.52548/WQXU7327
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RCI Carbon Flows Report: Compilation of supply and demand of fossil and renewable carbon on a global and European level (PDF)
Policy, Sustainability & Health
92 Pages
1610 Downloads1610 Downloads
2023-05
FREE
1610
DownloadsThe Carbon Flows report is a compilation of supply and demand of fossil and renewable carbon on a global and European level. It provides a comprehensive understanding of today’s carbon flows and what it means to replace fossil carbon with renewable carbon in the materials and chemicals sectors. It’s main intent is to provide a uniform and transparent data basis for a future carbon management that can be used and shared by industry, associations, policy-makers, science and alike.
In the last five years, the mindset around carbon has changed fundamentally. Of course, there is no way around the fact that the rising concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere pose an existential threat to life on Earth. But at the same time, carbon is the main component of our food, the basis of all organic chemicals and plastics, and the backbone of life on Earth.
In the chemicals and plastics sectors in particular, almost 90% of the carbon used as feedstock is fossil carbon. This fossil carbon must be replaced by renewable carbon from recycling, biomass and CO2 by 2050 to avoid a further influx of fossil carbon into our technosphere and atmosphere.This report provides a comprehensive, detailed and updated carbon flow data basis that significantly surpasses previous publications, containing more than 35 figures and tables with corresponding descriptions of methodology, source material and data. All data have been corroborated as best as currently possible by scientific publications, feedback from experts and additional research. Remaining gaps and differences are transparently depicted and explained as well as possible.
The nova experts assessed data from a multitude of sources. A wide range of data on material flow are used to compile a comprehensive inventory of carbon stocks and flows. The sectors covered include all applications of organic carbon from fossil resources and biomass production, from raw materials through utilisation to final end-of-life. This includes use of carbon for feed and food, for materials, for energy and for fuels. A special focus is put on the carbon demand in the chemical and plastic industry today and tomorrow, with several figures specifically zooming into this sector and including scenarios for a full defossilisation by 2050.
The Carbon Flows report is designed to be a living document that we would like to update every one to two years if possible. This also means that we look forward to your feedback, additional input, new data and suggestions from any interested party. Please directly contact the main author of the study for this: ferdinand.kaehler@nova-institut.de
DOI No.: https://doi.org/10.52548/KCTT1279
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Renewable Carbon Initiative (RCI) draws worldwide attention (PDF)
Policy, Sustainability & Health
2 Pages
237 Downloads237 Downloads
2021-11
FREE
237
DownloadsThe climate crisis is accelerating at an unprecedented pace, with global warming, greenhouse gas emissions and deforestation leading to food insecurity, global health problems and biodiversity loss. Greenhouse gas emissions associated with the use of carbon-containing fossil energy sources such as oil, coal and natural gas have been shown to be a major contributor to climate change. Thus, for decades the focus of climate protection has been predominantly on the energy sector. A new initiative is now expanding this view. Learn about the history and activities of the Renewable Carbon Initiative (RCI).
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BioSinn – Products for which biodegradation makes sense (PDF)
Markets & Economy, Policy
134 Pages
2103 Downloads2103 Downloads
2021-05
FREE
2103
DownloadsIn the project “BioSinn – Products for which biodegradation makes sense”, which was funded by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (funding code 2219NR197), experts from the nova-Institute in Hürth near Cologne investigated whether there are applications and products for which biodegradation is a sensible or even the best end-of-life option. The selection criteria were that collecting the products (or their remaining parts), separating them from other organic waste or material recycling is not possible, economically not feasible or does not take place in practice. Further criteria were that the input of microplastics into the environment can be avoided through the use of biodegradable materials or that indirect positive effects, a relevant secondary benefit, can be achieved through the use of biodegradable materials.
The result of the project is a brochure for decision-makers from industry and politics but also for the general public, with 25 fact sheets and extensive background information on biodegradation. For each product, it explains to what extent biodegradation is a sensible and feasible option and what technical substitution options are available for a more sustainable use of materials. In addition, political framework conditions and regulations were highlighted and evaluated on a product-specific basis. For the first time, the market volumes for Germany and the EU were also surveyed and estimated. The total volume of the 25 applications in Germany is about 170,000 tonnes and in the European Union even about 1 million tonnes, of which the largest share ends up in the environment. Here, the use of biodegradable materials would bring considerable environmental benefits.
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Bioeconomy is not alone – from Bioeconomy to Carbon Management
Policy, Sustainability & Health, Technology
2 Pages
191 Downloads191 Downloads
2021-04
FREE
Free Shipping191
DownloadsThe bioeconomy faces great expectations and hopes in the fight against climate change, and at the same time is viewed critically. The biggest problems in building a strong bioeconomy are direct and indirect land use changes, which have significant impacts on biodiversity, climate change, and food security.
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nova-Paper#14: Are new food and biomass technologies more sustainable? A review − Full version
Sustainability & Health
22 Pages
595 Downloads595 Downloads
2020-11
FREE
595
Downloads -
Limit and guideline values for THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) in hemp foods − Full version
Policy, Sustainability & Health
29 Pages
230 Downloads230 Downloads
2019-06
FREE
230
Downloads -
Proceedings of Revolution in Food and Biomass Production (REFAB) Conference 2018
Markets & Economy
15 Downloads15 Downloads
2018-10
FREE
Plus 19% MwSt.Free Shipping15
Downloads -
26 Downloads
2016-04
FREE
26
Downloads -
nova paper #2 on bio-based economy: “Food or non-food: Which agricultural feedstocks are best for industrial uses?” − Article in bioplastics MAGAZINE
Policy
4 Pages
694 Downloads694 Downloads
2013-08
FREE
694
Downloads -
nova paper #2 on bio-based economy: “Food or non-food: Which agricultural feedstocks are best for industrial uses?” − Full version
Policy
9 Pages
3966 Downloads3966 Downloads
2013-07
FREE
3966
Downloads