SECURING SUSTAINABLE DENDROMASS PRODUCTION WITH POPLAR PLANTATIONS IN EUROPEAN RURAL AREAS (DBA.AD003.095)

Thematic area

Biology, agriculture and food sciences

Project area

Structure responsible for the research project

Institute of BioEconomy (IBE)

Project manager

RAFFAELE SPINELLI
Phone number: 0555225641
Email: spinelli@ivalsa.cnr.it

Abstract

Dendromass4Europe (D4E) aims at establishing sustainable, Short-Rotation Coppice (SRC)-based regional cropping
systems for agricultural dendromass on marginal land that feed into bio-based value chains and create additional job
opportunities in rural areas. For that purpose, 2,500 ha of short rotation poplar plantations are established, including
marginal or currently unused land in rural areas of the Slovak Republic and Hungary.
Besides developing attractive business opportunities, the activities of the industrial partners in D4E will generate profit for the
rural economy (income for farmers, employment opportunities). A large number of farmers and rural land owners will directly
benefit from the diversification and increase of revenues through their involvement into D4E.
The main responsible plantation owner IKEA Industries Malacky provides a framework for land acquisition. With the plantation management, the respective farmers and land owners in rural western Slovakia and in north-western Hungary will have direct access to a new bio-based market of three industrial partners.

Goals

These plantations will provide the
feedstock for the establishment of four new bio-based value chains based upon products from wood and bark from poplar
trees: (1) a functionally adapted lightweight fibreboard, (2) eco-fungicidal moulded fibre parts, (3) a bark-enriched woodplastic
composite and (4) a multi-purpose wood-plastic granulate.
Based on the above mentioned impact of D4E plantations for the farmers' income, new primary agricultural jobs will be created, mainly for local people and opening possibilities for disadvantaged groups. New green jobs in rural areas will also originate from the D4E at the production plants of the industrial partners. The consortium D4E unites expertise from industrial and academic partners in the relevant fields along the production, processing and utilization of products from short-rotation coppice.

Start date of activity

01/06/2017

Keywords

SICUREZZA, DENDROMASSE SOSTENIBILI, ZONE RURALI

Last update: 02/09/2024