Agro Building Carbon/ABC: quantifying carbon removal farm-sourced building materials
Description
The ABC project utilizes an advanced bio-based technology matrix to transform structural agricultural residues—like cereal straw, corn stalks, and hemp—into high-performance materials [interregeurope.eu]. The process combines mechanical and green chemical fractionating to extract high-purity cellulose and lignin, which are then formed into fully biodegradable food-packaging solutions and sustainable insulation panels for agricultural storage [interregeurope.eu]. Additionally, the system integrates specialized carbon-tracking algorithms to quantify the exact amount of biogenic CO₂ permanently stored within these bio-products, enabling local farmers to generate verified carbon removal credits [interregeurope.eu].
Sector
A1.2Growing of perennial crops
Needs/ Problem statement
Construction and packaging sectors rely heavily on fossil-based materials, while massive volumes of agricultural crop residues are wasted or burned. Rural areas lack the green technologies to convert these fibers into biodegradable materials and the digital tools to track their carbon storage. This prevents farmers from validating their carbon-sequestration capacity and entering carbon credit markets to diversify their income.
Objective
The main objective of the ABC project is to establish low-carbon agricultural supply chains by deploying advanced bio-based technologies to transform crop residues into sustainable materials. Specifically, the project aims to optimize mechanical and chemical fractionating techniques to convert agricultural waste into biodegradable food packaging and insulation panels. Additionally, it seeks to implement standardized carbon-tracking software to accurately quantify long-term carbon storage in these bioproducts, enabling farmers to access carbon credit markets and diversify rural income.
Bioeconomy fields
Crop residues and perennial plantsx
Designer crops for optimised biomass contentnull
Algae biomassnull
Waste or recycled materialnull
Microbial assisted processingnull
Biorefineries x
Feedstock
Biomass residues
Outcomes and final product
The ABC project delivers fully biodegradable food packaging and sustainable insulation panels manufactured directly from agricultural crop residues. The final technological outcome is a standardized regional carbon-accounting platform powered by tracking software algorithms. This digital infrastructure enables local farmers and cooperatives to accurately quantify long-term carbon storage, allowing them to issue verified carbon removal credits and secure new revenue streams.
Mobility
null
Value chains
1
2
3
null
C Sink
1
2
3
1 - Low potential - low potential for carbon sequestration
Intended user
The primary intended users of ABC\'s outcomes are agricultural cooperatives, bio-based packaging manufacturers, construction material providers, and regional public authorities. Terms of access follow an open-access policy, as all technical blueprints, regional carbon-accounting frameworks, and software methodologies generated during the four-year period are made publicly available through the official Interreg Europe repository. This ensures that any European rural community or enterprise can freely access and replicate the project\'s circular supply chains and carbon-credit models.
Complexity of the process
1
2
3
3 -complex application
Final user
FarmerΥ
Foresternull
Researchernull
Advisornull
NGOnull
Training organizationnull
Processor or retailernull
Consumernull
Public Authority + LAGx
Otherx
Economic sustainability
1
2
3
1 - Low potential - doesn\'t bring any economic benefits.
Social sustainability
1
2
3
2 - Medium potential -Expected to bring 2 or 1 social benefits.
Environmental sustainability
1
2
3
2 - Medium potential - Expected to bring 2 or 1 environmental benefits.
