Agricultural biomass production within a sustainable and circular Bioeconomy
Brief me
- Agriculture is the main biomass-producing sector in Europe, supplying about 70% of the total biomass for processing or consumption in the EU-27.
- Each year, the European Union produces around 924 Mt of agricultural biomass (2016–2020).
- Of this total, roughly 54% is primary production (grains, fruits, roots, tubers) and about 46% is above-ground residue (leaves, stems, straw).
- Cereals are the leading crop in Europe, making up 50% of the economic output and 74% of crop residues.
- Adequate residues must remain on fields to protect soil quality and biodiversity, reducing the portion available for other uses.
- EU crop residues extracted range between 102 and 146 Mt per year (dry matter), though uncertainties remain large.
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Brief on agricultural biomass production
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