Non-food crop

The term non food crop applies to the use of agricultural crops for uses other than human (as food) or animal consumption (as feed).

The range of crops with non-food uses is broad, but includes traditional arable crops like wheat, as well as less conventional crops like hemp and Miscanthus.

Products made from non-food crops can be categorised by function:

Function: Products: Examples of crops used:
Biofuels and bioenergy (energy crops) Bioethanol, biobutanol, biodiesel, syngas and bioenergy Algae, Buchloe dactyloides, Jatropha and Switchgrass
Building and construction Hemp-lime building materials, Straw building materials, Insulation, Paints, varnishes hemp, wheat, linseed (flax), bamboo
Fiber Paper, cloth, fabric, padding, string, twine, and rope coir, cotton, flax, hemp, manila hemp, papyrus, sisal
Pharmaceuticals (traditional) and therapeutic proteins (novel) Drugs, botanical and herbal medicines, nutritional supplements, plant-made pharmaceuticals Borage, Cannabis sativa, Echinacea, Artemisia, Tobacco
Renewable biopolymers Plastics and packaging Wheat, maize, potatoes
Speciality chemicals Essential oils, printing ink, paper coatings Lavender, oilseed rape, linseed, hemp

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