Pushing the frontier of circular agriculture by converting residues into novel economic, social and environmental opportunities

The EU and China are the two major players in the global bioeconomy with a high potential for cooperation. The EU-funded AgriLoop project will extend the agricultural production value of the EU and China by eco-efficiently upgrading underexploited residues into a portfolio of high-added-value bio-products able to generate new bio-based markets. The project will develop safe-and-sustainable-by-design (SSbD) bioconversion processes and integrate them into a cascading biorefinery approach, to convert agri-residues from tomato, soy, straw, potato, brewery, oil, winery and livestock sectors, among others, into plant and microbial proteins, polyesters and other bio-based chemicals. AgriLoop will strengthen EU-China cooperation, inform SSbD guidance and increase resource efficiency through reduced discharges of agricultural residues.

Thirty-five academic and private partners from across Europe and China are now working together on the AgriLoop project, which will develop sustainable processes to convert agri-food residues into high-value, eco-friendly products for use in food, feed and bio-based materials.
This new collaboration will find new uses for agri-food residues: currently an underexploited resource for both the European Union and China, accounting for around 50% of harvested crops. Over the next four years, this project will develop sustainable integrated processes in a cascading biorefinery approach to convert agri-food residues (from tomato, soy, straw, potato, brewery, oil, winery and livestock sectors etc) into high-value, eco-friendly products such as plant and microbial proteins, polyesters and other bio-based chemicals for use in food, feed, health and material applications, especially by the agricultural sector. The increase in use will bring significant economic, environmental and societal benefits to the regions involved. AgriLoop will also strengthen European and Chinese cooperation, enabling partners to join forces to increase agricultural sustainability, grow the bioeconomy and tackle climate change and plastic pollution.