Our issues on the bio economy
Starch is renewable and biodegradable. As such it is a well-suited raw material for the sustainable use of agricultural products in the bio-based industry. For the last 30 years, the EU starch industry has been producing bio-based products that are used as raw materials, generally replacing fossil-fuel-based ingredients, in the fermentation, chemical, cosmetics, textile, paper, plastics and detergent industries. The EU starch industry makes considerable investments in Research and Development (over 100 million Euros annually), most of it in the development of bio-based products.
The role of the bio-based products as alternatives to fossil-fuel counterparts, and their importance in developing a sustainable economy based on renewable materials in Europe, has been recognised in the EU 2020 strategy and its focus on the bioeconomy, as well as initiatives such as the Lead Market Initiative on bio-based products (November 2009 report) and the European Commission Communication of February 2012 on a bioeconomy for Europe and its associated bioeconomy Action Plan.
AAF is a strong supporter of these EU initiatives, in particular the Lead Market Initiative, and we are fully committed to playing our role in ensuring their effective implementation.