By-Products for Biorefineries
Starting the agro-industrial sectors in Tuscany since the co-products of 4 oilseed crops (hemp, safflower, linseed and camelina) with the creation of a technical platform and regional logistics.
Therefore, develop an articulated system of biorefineries that allows maximum exploitation of the biomass of oil crops that can be used in rotation. The system involves the use of various parts of biomass and production residues for the development of innovative and more sustainable bioproducts for at least 6 sectors of the Tuscan industry: food, cosmetics, pharmaceutical, construction, wood, automotive (camper).
1. Introduction of innovative oleaginous crops (hemp, safflower, flax and camelina);
2. Optimization of sustainable cropping techniques and the transfer of relevant knowledge;
3. Development of new systems for collecting and drying the seeds;
4. Introduction of new systems for processing seeds and straws for semi-finished products;
5. Development of new derivative products (bioactive compounds, products for cosmetics, non-toxic adhesives, hemp fiber composite for panels and blocks), cannabidiol (CBD) for pharmaceutical use;
6. Development of regional agro-industrial supply chains integrated with a better distribution of the value for farms
The partner farms operate in various Tuscan territories (Pisa, Arezzo, Florence, Pistoia); their traditional products, cereals above all, are affected by the economic crisis aggravated by the drought of the 2017 season, which has led to a record drop in durum wheat production. Some companies have started to introduce innovative crops in rotation with cereals with the dual objective of diversifying income opportunities and favoring an improvement in soil quality and agri-ecosystem resilience. The critical success factor is obviously the profitability of the new crops. To this end, the COBRAF project has identified 4 oleaginous species - camelina, hemp, safflower and flax - of considerable health interest. These products are destined to the nutraceutical and cosmeceutical sectors, which are growing rapidly in Italy and in the world. The residual oil extraction panels are also of interest for innovative applications, such as adhesives for the wood panel industry. The flax and hemp straws, rich in fiber, suitably worked are used in various manufacturing applications.
The preparatory phase of the COBRAF project has confirmed the interest of the Tuscan industry, in particular food, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, construction, camper industry. But there are critical issues to be addressed:
- the poor experience of the agricultural world in the cultivation of these species, especially with integrated and biological agriculture methods;
- the lack of adequate systems of first transformation: in Tuscany there are several innovative technologies in the field of oil extraction, but without relation to the local agricultural world. In addition, throughout the whole of Central Italy, a plant for the first processing of hemp and flax straws is lacking.
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