Tuesday, April 8, 2025

4:15 PM - 5:45 PM

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Overview

Sponsored by BiOrbic

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Details

In this session we introduce papers describing studies related to the circular bioeconomy. Circular bioeconomy refers to an economic system that combines the principles of circular economy and bioeconomy. This economic model emphasizes the use of renewable natural capital and focuses on minimizing waste, replacing the wide range of non-renewable, fossil-based products currently in use. A circular bioeconomy offers the opportunity to transform our land, food, health and industrial systems. This transition will bring with it opportunities for decarbonization, and contribute to managing and rebuilding ecosystems and landscapes. It focuses on maximizing the value of biomaterial resources for as long as possible and minimizing waste generation. This approach utilizes renewable biological resources to produce food, materials, and energy, while also emphasizing investment in human, social, natural, and physical capital. In a circular bioeconomy, the utilization of biomass plays a significant role in continuous production and contributes to the overall improvement of the economy. This session is sponsored by BiOrbic, a national collaboration of researchers hosted by University College Dublin, focused on the development of a sustainable, circular bioeconomy. Researchers in BiOrbic work on selectively separating and extracting valued compounds from renewable materials, converting those resources into novel bio-based products and processes, delivering market and industry-scalable sustainable resources. Papers in this session highlight the diversity of opportunities that will arise as concepts in circular bioeconomy are developed and integrated into existing research areas. The first paper in this session is by Prof Tommy Boland from UCD. Feeding locally grown feeds and industry by-products to cattle can replace imported feeds which often have higher environmental impacts, including those associated with land use change. In the first offered paper, Christodoulou et al. assess whether sustainable feed proteins in livestock diets can enhance animal performance and nutrient use while reducing reliance on high-carbon footprint proteins like soyabean. Alternative protein food sources such as edible insects have gained greater interest in recent years as the potential environmental impacts of excessive red meat consumption is better understood. Insects can be used to convert food waste and by-products into protein and fatty acid food-sources for human consumption. In the second offered paper, Alvarez explores how by-products affect the nutritional composition of edible insects. Of importance when assessing the utilization of renewable biological resources is accurately allocating environmental burdens; McNamee et al. quantify allocation of greenhouse gas emissions in beef cattle production systems when detailed information on ‘non-carcass’ components are available. Cattle slurry is an important nutrient resource on livestock farms. Greater valorization of this resource can be obtained through the anaerobic digestion of livestock slurry with this process reducing greenhouse gas emissions while generating valuable products such as energy and organic fertilizer. The final two papers in this session evaluate the potential of anaerobic digestion for livestock farms.

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Session Sponsor & Speakers

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Chair