A national workshop held on June 30th, 2025, brought together industry leaders, researchers, policymakers, and growers to discuss how the UK can build resilient, sustainable bio-based supply chains. The focus was clear: the UK must move away from fossil-based inputs and toward homegrown, renewable alternatives — with biomass crops playing a central role in this transformation.
The Case for Biomass Crops
Bio-based chemicals and materials — produced from plants, algae, mycelium, and organic waste — offer a powerful route to decarbonising sectors from packaging and textiles to pharmaceuticals and construction. The workshop reiterated that biomass is a key feedstock for the future of UK manufacturing, especially as the country aims to source 30% of chemical industry carbon from biomass by 2050.
Participants identified agricultural residues, dedicated energy crops, and food and forestry by-products as critical biomass sources. However, they also highlighted a lack of understanding and data on where and how to access these resources. This suggests the need for a UK-wide biomass mapping effort to better link growers with industry, part of what the Biomass Connect project wanted to scope throughout its linked innovation projects, and refine through its online directory. Prof. Jeanette Whitaker, Project Lead of Biomass Connect and Associate Science Director at UKCEH, chaired a session at the event focused on the current context of UK biomass crops.
Converting Crops to Value
Developing biorefineries and scaling up bioprocessing technologies are key to converting raw biomass into high-value products. The UK boasts a strong R&D base in industrial biotechnology, but the infrastructure to process biomass at commercial scale remains limited. Investment in regional biorefineries and standardised life cycle assessment methods was viewed as essential to realising the potential of biomass crops.
Market Drivers and Opportunities
Demand for greener alternatives is growing, but biomass-based products still face market entry barriers. Stakeholders called for:
- National procurement policies (e.g. in the NHS) to create guaranteed demand,
- Tax incentives for bio-based products,
- Clearer regulations and definitions for waste-based materials,
- And a stronger bio-based trade association to support growers and processors.
Public awareness also plays a part. Consumers still rank cost and performance above sustainability — suggesting that education and transparent labelling (e.g., carbon footprints) could help bio-based options compete.
Vision for 2030
Workshop participants envisioned a regionally integrated, circular bioeconomy, where biomass is sourced and processed locally, and value is shared across rural and industrial sectors. They called for:
- Contracted supply volumes from UK farms,
- Greater coordination across government departments,
- And support for regenerative farming that aligns with climate and biodiversity goals.
Key Takeaways for Biomass Stakeholders
- Growing dedicated biomass crops offers a commercial opportunity as demand for low-carbon feedstocks rises.
- Policy clarity and investment incentives will be vital to de-risk long-term crop planning and infrastructure development.
- Collaboration across the supply chain — from farmers to processors to buyers — will be essential to scaling up.
Next Steps
Key recommendations included:
- Mapping UK biomass availability and suitability.
- Establishing a biomass hierarchy that prioritises high-value applications like chemicals and materials.
- Funding new processing infrastructure.
- Enhancing skills and training across the bio-based economy.
- Introducing procurement and trade policies that favour UK-grown biomass.
As the UK moves toward Net Zero, biomass growers and land managers will likely play a critical role in enabling any bio-based transformation. This workshop showed that the potential is clear — now the challenge is turning vision into viable, coordinated action.
