White paper

VeriSource - Verifying value of resources: Facilitating farmer’s acceptance of residual biomass utilization in novel bioeconomic value chains 

Abstract

The proposed project ‘VeriSource’ addresses the need for more resource-efficient and sustainable food production systems by valorizing underused agricultural and horticultural residual biomass as a source of valuable plant secondary metabolites. The extraction of these bioactive compounds from harvest residues can create new circular bioeconomic value chains, thereby adding value to agricultural food production without competing for land use. We identified two key challenges: First, the strong variability of metabolite content in plant biomass impacts its quality for utilization, which makes estimation of the value of farmers’ residual biomass difficult. Second, farmers’ acceptance of novel value chains depends on the perceived risks and revenue. The project addresses both aspects by developing practical, standardized quality verification schemes based on non-invasive phenotyping technologies and evaluating farmers’ perception of such tools, and which quality verification schemes are suitable to increase their willingness to provide residual biomass for bioeconomic utilization. The interdisciplinary team will (1) review the technical feasibility of relevant phenotyping methods, (2) design best-fit verification concepts integrating technical, economic, and social requirements, and (3) assess the practical applicability, acceptance by farmers, and their willingness to implement such verification concepts for the supply of residual biomass in novel value chains through a survey. These aspects are relevant for further scientific and strategic actions of the BioSC with regards to biomass utilisation, and our core findings will be described in a white paper to provide a scalable blueprint for transformative adjustments of regional crop production.

Partners

Dr. Laura Verena Junker-Frohn, Prof. Dr. Uwe Rascher & Beverly Wolters, IBG-2: Plant Sciences, Forschungszentrum Jülich
Jun.-Prof. Dr. Dr. Daniel Hermann & Florian Grebe, ILR - Economics of Sustainable Land Use and Bioeconomy, University of Bonn

Funding period

01.07.2026 - 31.12.2026

Funding

VeriSource is part of the NRW-Strategieprojekt BioSC and thus funded by the Ministry of Culture and Science of the German State of North Rhine-Westphalia.