(60b) Creating New Bioproducts Targeting “Zero Waste” Production

This presentation outlines USDA strategies for converting agricultural coproducts into commercially-viable products with the ultimate goal of achieving “zero waste” agriculture. The Western U.S., especially the Central Valley of California, is a world leader in the production of an array of specialty crops, including wine grapes, olives, artichokes, avocados, almonds, walnuts, pistachios, and, most recently, hemp. These crops contribute billions of dollars to the rural economy. The processing of each of these crops generates their own specific coproducts and waste streams, which in turn can generate billions more in revenue or result in significant costs. This presentation will discuss successful development of several ag-derived biomass feedstocks into commercial products, outlining specific processing methods that meet the cost-points required to meet market demands. Discussion will include description of torrefaction of biomass whereby biomass sources were heat-treatment to 200C-300C in limited oxygen, to create fillers for modifying the properties of traditional plastics. Char-like ground torrefied additives were melt-blended into recycled plastics and bioplastics as a replacement for carbon black. In another example, we describe converting organic acids and/or methane from agricultural biomass into polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), a commodity bioplastic with significant market potential. As will be discussed, the drive toward “zero waste” agriculture can be applied universally to generate value-added bioproducts from a wide array of agriculturally-derived biomass sources.