An overview of opportunities and factors affecting exploitation of crops for industrial use

摘要

The exploitation of products from plants is not new but went into decline as synthetic materials were developed from coal and oil and technological development meant that animals were outclassed as primary sources of traction. The recognition of the need for true sustainability, led by concerns over the impacts of current farming practices and the impacts of our industrialised society on pollution and global climate change, has caused a revision of views. Significant markets for sustainable biorenewable raw materials now exist, created by legislative change or by technical or economic advantage. Nonetheless progress in uptake has been slow for a number of reasons and aspirations to achieve targets for increased use of renewable raw materials may prove difficult to fulfil Some of the reasons for this are discussed.