Primer on Bioproducts - BIOCAP Canada

Meanwhile, bioproducts that rely on biomasscombustion could, if not managed properly,increase the amount of particulate emissionsfrom industry, contributing to more industrialsmog and pollution.These issues are complex. Technology holdsthe promise of making biomass production anduse more efficient, so industry demands can bemet with less land and other resources than arecurrently required. Conservation, includingrecycling and the efficient use of waste, couldalso improve the availability of feedstocks andmake industrial consumption of these resourcesmore sustainable. Nevertheless, manyquestions remain about the environmentalimpacts of bioproducts, indicating thatconsiderable research (including detailedresource and life-cycle assessments) is stillrequired to find the answers.Source:ce: Corel CorporationEconomic ConsiderationsBioproducts promise a variety of economicbenefits. According to a report by the OECD,these could include improved investment ininnovation, research and technology, improvedlong-term international competitiveness, andimproved prospects for rural economies. Someresearchers and advocacy organizations, suchas BioProducts Canada, suggest that marketadvantage may be the primary driver for theshift to bioproducts and a biobased economy.But, the economic implications of bioproductsand the biobased economy are far from fullyunderstood, and some of these raise concerns.For example, there is a high potential thatemerging bioproducts industries couldconcentrate on “least-cost” biomass cropsinstead of high-value ones, and could eliminatemany of the expected economic benefits forfarmers. Conversely, farmers may be unwillingto produce agricultural crops for an emergingbioproducts industry if market prices andconsumer attitudes do not make iteconomically worthwhile.PRIMER ON BIOPRODUCTS53