The Biobased Economy

The concept of the biobased economy challenges the notion that industrial manufacturing must use fossil fuels to create the products we all rely on. Progressive farming interests and research institutions have done considerable work to show how the future of sustainable development could be supported by the agricultural sector.

The biobased economy will use biotechnology to convert renewable raw materials derived from plants and crops into energy and products needed by advanced societies. In the biobased economy, renewable carbon from plants replaces fossil carbon from dinosaurs. Biology replaces geology. We will till instead of drill for our raw materials. And bio-processes will replace traditional chemical synthesis in many industrial processes.

Luckily, the transition to a biobased economy has already begun. At Genencor, we use our leading enzyme and protein engineering expertise to help a broad range of industries deliver products that have a positive impact on the sustainability of households around the globe:

Genencor products help:

• Wash clothes and clean dishes.
• Give jeans a soft feel and a stone-washed look.
• Convert corn starch to sweetener for your drink – or ethanol for your car.
• Increase the nutritional value of animal feed.

But this is only the beginning. Our advanced protein engineering techniques are helping to make biorefineries a reality, by using non-food portions of plants and agricultural waste products as a viable alternative to fossil fuels.

Twenty years from now, we will look back and see how biotechnology has contributed to progress towards industrial sustainability. And by 2050, we believe that all 9.1 billion of us will be living in a flourishing, biobased economy.