Plants are at the base of all life - they have been exploited by humankind for its benefit from pre-historical times. The recent exciting scientific developments in plant sciences increase the potential of plants enormously. These new possibilities respond to the growing demand for agricultural products by modern society, the bio-based economy. The bio-based economy is a term that encapsulates a vision of a future society no longer wholly dependent on fossil fuels for energy and industrial raw materials. The challenge facing us today is to capitalize on that potential without jeopardizing social, economic and natural sustainability.

In the biobased economy, agriculture will expand widely beyond its main current function: the production of food. Over the last years, the role of agriculture as energy supplier has been a focal point in the discussion of the bio-based economy. The new developments in the field of biofuels are considered both a threat in terms of sustainability and an exciting new option for agricultural development. Even more challenging may be the unlocking of the potential of biomass for platform or fine chemicals, and the designing of ways to profit optimally from the value of biomass via bio-refinery.

Many developing countries, well suited for the production of biomass for the biobased economy, face the challenge to sustainably profit from the economic possibilities of the renewed interest in biomass. It is important to be aware of the consequences of this major agricultural development. Scientific insight in possibilities and opportunities, threats and limitations are needed to shape the future of agriculture beyond food.

The workshop ‘Agriculture Beyond Food’ at Science Forum 2009 intends to explore the future possibilities of biomass for developing countries with emphasis on three topics: the next generation of biofuels, bio-products and bio-refinery.

The next generation of biofuels

It is generally accepted that biofuels must not compete with food. While possible competition of the first generation bio-fuels is apparent, the second generation may impact food security via competition for scarce resources like soil, water and nutrients. What are the options for a sustainable and balanced development of agriculture for food and fuel? What new ways can science and technology open for the next generation of bio-fuels?

Bio-products

Sooner or later the world will face a shortage of petrochemicals used for energy and a great diversity of products. While a number of alternatives are present for a sustainable energy supply, the only renewable source for products will be biomass. As a consequence, humankind must find alternatives for petrochemical products. In addition, biomass is much more powerful than petrochemical stocks because of the large variation of compounds produced by plants. How can we optimally profit from the potential of biomass for bio-products? How can we tailor plants and plant systems such that they are predisposed for their new function?

Bio-refinery

Plants contain a large variation of components that are useful for humankind. Some compounds are high-value, whereas other components hardly possess any economic value. Single-use of plants does not capitalize on this variation. What processing systems can be designed that separate different components of plants for different economic and social use? What are the consequences for production systems and trade?

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