Environmental impacts from the production of agricultural crops for bio-based industrial systems

Expected Outcome

In line with the industrial carbon management strategy, successful proposals will support the deployment of safe and sustainable by design bio-based solutions, including the supply of sustainable biogenic carbon, thus contributing to the zero pollution objectives.

Project results are expected to contribute to all the following expected outcomes:

• bio-based industries and stakeholders along the supply chain improve their knowledge of the environmental impacts on air/water/soil quality, biodiversity and climate from the production of primary biological resources for industrial bio-based systems;
• public authorities, farmers, advisors and economic actors in the bio-based industrial value chains have access to best practices to produce crops for industrial uses sustainably.

Scope

The assessment of environmental sustainability of biological resources production and trades in the bio-based industrial systems is still a challenge. There is a lack of information and environmental assessment, including the indirect land use change (ILUC) effects and possible impacts on the ecosystems, related to primary biomass grown for bio-based value chains. Industrial bio-based systems within the scope of this topic include those for the production of bio-based chemicals/materials/products excluding food/feed, biofuels/bioenergy. The scope of the topic focusses on the environmental impacts from biomass production, not covering the full life cycle of the uses of such biomass, nor the valorisation of waste and residues.

Proposals should:

• identify the types of primary agricultural crops currently produced for bio-based products within the scope of this topic at EU and Associated Countries scale;
• include a task for the project to collect data and figures on volumes and geographical distribution of the identified primary agricultural crops traded within the EU and Associated Countries, and from outside the EU towards the EU and Associated Countries. In the cases of primary agricultural crops grown in the EU and Associated Countries, collect data on type of land used and of pedo-climatic zones, cultivation systems and agronomic practices (crop diversification, intercropping, cultivation of catch-crops, etc);
• analyse the environmental impacts of the identified primary agricultural crops produced for industrial purposes and identified under the first bullet of this scope. The analysis should be based on literature data and potentially applying Environmental Footprint methods as described in Recommendation (EU) 2021/2279;
• include a task for the project to assess quantitatively such environmental impacts and trade-offs addressing, but not limiting to, the following environmental categories: i) GHG emissions/savings and carbon footprint, including temporary carbon removals; ii) emissions to air/water/soil from nitrogen and phosphorous based fertilisers; iii) land use and land use change and its related impact on land carbon sink capacity; iv) water use; v) biodiversity and ecosystem services; vi) energy consumption, vii) any other aspects of air/water/soil environmental quality. The quantitative assessment should consider the range of climatic and land conditions, for each primary agricultural crop, due to the geographical distribution. It should be based on data from literature and stakeholders’ consultations and potentially applying Environmental Footprint methods as described in Recommendation (EU) 2021/2279. Based on such assessment, individuate best practices and the means to share them among concerned stakeholders.

Proposals should include a task dedicated to sharing methodologies and findings with similar recent or ongoing projects, e.g., MIDAS and MarginUp funded under the topic HORIZON-CL6-2022-CIRCBIO-01-02-Marginal lands and climate-resilient and biodiversity-friendly crops for sustainable industrial feedstocks and related value chains.

Multi-actor approach and international cooperation, especially with Latin–America and the Caribbean, are encouraged.