New EU initiative aims to transform grass into high value products

The Rural BioReFarmeries (RBRF) initiative, funded by the Circular Bio-Based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU), aims to deploy and optimise regional green biorefineries in grassland farming regions of Europe, while demonstrating how the bioeconomy can benefit farms and rural communities. The €8.7 million initiative officially kicked off in Cork, Ireland, on the 10th of December at Munster Technological University’s (MTU), the coordinating institution which will be leading the initiative for the next 4 years alongside 18 other partners from 8 European countries.

Grassland covers almost 35% of agricultural land in Europe and over 90% in Ireland. RBRF will introduce and scale technologies aimed at unlocking bioeconomy grassland opportunities that can bring major environmental, economic and social benefits for farmers and rural communities, provide a mechanism to generate new high value ingredients from grass, while complementing traditional farm enterprises.

The project’s ultimate goal is to demonstrate the potential of grassland biorefineries through the development of two primary green biorefinery and anaerobic digestion demonstration sites in Ireland and Denmark. Working in collaboration with downstream research and industrial sites in the Netherlands, Ireland, Denmark and Poland, these sites will optimise the conversion of grasses, clover and green biomass residues sourced from local farms to co-produce value-added products, including: human and animal grade protein, bio-based food packaging, high value flavours, anti-microbials and feed additives along with fertiliser and energy.

“In a circular bioeconomy, we can produce, not only forage, but also food, high value materials and energy from grasslands. Green biorefineries are a key sustainable technology for realising this potential. Rural BioReFarmeries will help grassland farms become more self-sufficient by creating essential farm inputs like feed, fertilisers and energy, while co-producing additional food, monogastric feed concentrates and high value ingredients from their grass and farm residues. In doing so, the project will help farms to reduce inputs costs, create new revenue streams, and support them in meeting climate targets, while benefiting the local agricultural sector and broader society”, says James Gaffey, RBRF Project Coordinator and Co-director of Circular Bioeconomy Research Group (CIRCBIO) at MTU.

“The Rural BioReFarmeries project kicks-off with more than €8 million in CBE JU funding to unlock the untapped potential of grass biomass. Two small scale biorefineries, in Ireland and Denmark, will deploy farmer-centred grass-based value chains, offering new circular business models, fully replicable across rural areas and regions in Europe. The project will boost rural resilience, diversify income for farmers and reduce emissions in the agri-food sector. Rural BioReFarmeries marks a new milestone for Europe’s circular bioeconomy, highlighting the strategic value of grassland valorisation”, says Luisa Mascia, Project Officer at CBE JU.

The Rural BioReFarmeries initiative is funded by Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU), a €2 billion partnership between the European Union and the Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC) that funds projects advancing competitive circular bio-based industries under Horizon Europe, the EU’s research and innovation programme.

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Disclaimer: This project is supported by the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking and its members under the Grant Agreement number 101156954. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or CBE JU. Neither the European Union nor the CBE JU can be held responsible for them.