NF-2000 - AIR Programme Final Project Results disseminated under FAIR-CT96-1094

ISBN ISBN 1872691226 EUR 19307      £7.50

Introduction
Preface
Table of Contents

Introduction

The NF-2000 project resulted in the preparation of 600 individual Items covering ECLAIR, AIR, FAIR, JOULE, THERMIE and FP5 as well as National and International activities and reports, etc. It was therefore not practical to bring all these together in a book, although they will all be available on Issue 3 of the Non-Food Uses CD-ROM. However, since all AIR projects have now finished (whilst some FAIR projects are still ongoing), the NF-2000 Items containing final results from those AIR projects related to Non-Food Uses have been brought together in a book. They have also been incorporated into the CD-ROM.

Preface

This book contains a selection of the final summary reports from Research and Development projects, supported under the AIR programme, relating to the production and use of renewable biomaterials derived from agricultural crops. The contents are based on information collected in the course of the Concerted Action (FAIR-CT96-1904) on Non-Food Agro-Industrial Research Information Dissemination (NF-2000).

The AIR Programme (Agriculture and Agro-Industry including Fisheries Programme of Research and Technological Development) ran from 1990 to 1996. However, some of the projects funded during the later calls continued until 1999, overlapping with the subsequent FAIR Programme (1994 to 1998). A significant proportion of the funds made available under both programmes was directed towards the production and utilisation of novel plants for non-food uses. Such uses ranged from production of fuels and other energy uses, through building materials and fibres (including wood and composites) to chemicals.

The reports presented here cover renewable bioproducts aimed at the higher value markets. The project reports are arranged, as was the programme, in a series of clusters covering Biomass Production, Thermochemical Conversion, Bioconversion, Oils and Fats and Bioplastics as well as Pulp and Paper. In addition to these areas of activity, the AIR programme also covered forestry management, wood products, food, fisheries and conventional agricultural research.

The renewable bioproducts activities have been selected from this overall programme since this is the area that is least developed commercially, and that offers particular opportunities to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to enter niche markets, while providing the farming community with novel crops and the possibility of diversifying their activities. In general the costs of growing, harvesting, processing and using crops exceeds that of using petroleum as an industrial raw material, while the actual or perceived quality of end products may not be as good. However, natural products have environmental benefits, including biodegradability and are less likely to cause allergenic reactions, finding favour with the consumer as natural or 'green' chemicals.

Hence, the purpose of the Air Programme was to investigate the extent to which the reliability of production of novel crops could be improved, raw material production costs reduced and the efficiency and quality of end products increased. Other activities, such as those in the area of pulp and paper aimed to apply novel, often biological, treatments that were more benign and again caused less pollution.

The AIR programme was the second to be funded covering the overall concept of agro-industrial activity. It followed on from the ECLAIR programme that has already resulted in quite a wide range of biological products, especially in the area of pest and disease control, reaching the market. Much of the work was fairly basic in nature, as illustrated here, forming the basis for some of the activities funded under the subsequent FAIR programme in which work was extended to cover complete production chains from the farm to the factory output. In many areas further developments are still needed and continue to be funded under the Fifth RTD Framework Programme (FP5), as part of the ongoing efforts of the European Commission to bring Renewable Bioproducts to the market place.

AIR Programme Secretariat

Table of Contents - Projects listed by Cluster