Innovation in Crops, (InCrops), set up to support the commercialisation of new applications for non-food crops has received GBP 2 million from the European Regional Development Fund Competitiveness programme and the East of England Development Agency to establish a hub linking researchers in the region with businesses looking to develop new products. One local company, Lotus Cars is already doing this, piloting the use of locally produced hemp in fibreglass panels.
InCrops is based at the University of East Anglia, in Norwich, with partners across the region including Cambridge University School of Plant Science, Rothamsted Research, the Building Research Establishment, John Innes Centre, Essex University and Renewables East, the regional agency for renewable energy.
The scheme is good news for farmers as new markets for novel crops will be created, using plants which can thrive in a changing climate. Demand for post-harvest waste is also set to increase as new uses are found, such as biomass fuel.
Cindy Winn, Rural manager at EEDA said, “InCrops will bring together some of the east of England’s world-class researchers, with the entrepreneurs who can turn their ideas into commercial reality.”
John French, Director of InCrops, says sustainability and efficient use of resources are the underlying motive “There has been a good deal of controversy in recent months about the cultivation of crops for fuel that could be used for food. But it’s not necessarily a question of cultivating crops either for food or for other uses. We need to maximise our use of crops and reduce waste”
“We also need to investigate the future crops we should be growing as climate change starts to affect the land and agriculture of this region. These crops can be used for fibre, high-value chemicals and extracts, protein and starch.”
The five-year project aims to create new plant-based products such as bio-plastics and packaging and will also look at using plants in innovative ways such as using hemp for building and car components.
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