UPM Biofore Magazine 1-2018

TEXT Vesa Puoskari   PHOTOGRAPHY UPM

The residues of today are the ingredients of tomorrow’s best sellers. We reuse or recycle residues and side streams, and constantly develop new renewable products and solutions. Efficiency means responsibility. It is how we create alternatives for fossil-based materials. For a future beyond fossils. upm.com/biofore

BRASSICA CARINATA – A NEW PROFITABLE

WINTER CROP ALTERNATIVE

NOTHING TO WASTE

In Uruguay, Brassica carinata – an excellent raw material for the sustainable production of biofuels – is bringing additional income for farmers during the winter.

“SOY IS OUR MAIN summer crop but in winter, we have just few options for cultivation like rapeseed, and wheat. Carinata is becoming an important option for crop rotation outside the main agricultural production season,” notes agricultural engineer Martín Benia . Winter cultivation has several advantages. “Under local law, the fields always have to be covered. If farmers are not seeding a harvestable crop during winter, they have to at least seed a cover crop to protect the soil from erosion causedmainly by rain. This is important for the ecosystem.” Farmers in Uruguay have begun cultivating carinata under contract with UPM. “UPMprovides the seeds to the farmers, buys the entire harvest, and sells it all in the international market.” “In addition, the price is transparent as it is adjusted in line with an international market price index. Farmers know the approximate costs in advance. With a clear grain price, they will be able to better foresee the return on their investment.” New type of biofuel feedstock concept Brassica carinata is an oilseed crop specially designed for the sustainable

production of biofuels. The oil from the crop is non-edible. “Brassica carinata seed contains a lot of oil that makes it an excellent rawmaterial for renewable biofuel production. The rest can be used for producing proteins for animal feed,” explains Pieter Boutmy , Development Coordinator at UPM. Only 30 per cent of the agricultural land is in productive use during winter time in Uruguay. Last year, carinata crops totalled 7,200 hectares of farming land. “We are receiving good feedback from farmers testing the crop. We are now increasing the commercial acreage in collaboration with local contracted farmers.” The cropping concept meets sustainability requirements. “The sustainable land use is an essential criterion for us. We are developing the secondary cropping of carinata as a new rawmaterial for renewable biofuel production.” “In addition to fulfilling all the fundamental sustainability requirements of national and international legislation, we have also received RSB (Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials) certification for the operations in Uruguay,” Boutmy confirms. 

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