Focus on... Alternative uses for traditional crops

Like any business, farmers faced with a shrinking market must adapt or go under. Adaptation comes in many forms; growing a more marketable crop, using more efficient cultivation methods, diversifying and spreading risk, or finding ways to add value to the farm output. Tapping into technologies that unlock new potential in traditional crops may be a less likely option, but such opportunities do occasionally exist. In Focus On we look at five areas where alternative uses could mean better returns from a number of farm products, including sorghum, sugar cane, baobab, onion waste and wool.

Successfully seeking new uses for sorghum

"Now there is no need for sorghum to play second fiddle to maize any more in Africa," says Professor Peter Belton. He and his team at the University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK, have created an array of foods, drinks and packaging materials in an effort to make more from sorghum...

From sheep to shop

Despite its usefulness in clothing, fabric, yarn, felt and carpets, low prices and increasing popularity of synthetic fibres are forcing sheep farmers to look for alternative markets for their fleeces...

Baobab is branching out...

The baobab tree is well-revered, not just for its place in African history, but for the many uses it offers local communities. There are big local markets for baobab products in West Africa, but it is new on the European scene where cosmetic and nutraceutical products have recently been introduced...

Adding value to onion waste

Some 450,000 tonnes of onion waste are produced in Europe every year. It is not suitable for animal feed and currently has no other value or uses, so ends up being dumped in landfill sites at a cost. Now, a team of UK scientists has found an answer...

Fuelling the future

With the skyrocketing global energy requirement alongside pressure from environmental pressure groups and the Kyoto Agreement to reduce carbon emissions, governments are having to look for renewable sources of energy. Crops and their by-products have been found to offer some interesting opportunities...