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 |
Compare with
See also
- Biofuel
- Bioplastics
- Biopolymer
- Energy crop
- Food vs fuel
- National Non-Food Crops Centre
- Renewable Energy
- Helix of sustainability
External links
- National Non Food Crops Centre
- European Bioplastics
- Biomatdev - Non-food crops valorization: market overview and examples