The goal is to analyze whether the fiber crops can be used for the production of safe biobased products and whether new local bio-based value chains can then be set up.
The land used for the experiment was collected on the site of a former sugar beet factory in Veurne (Belgium), of agricultural land near the site of MetalEurop (Northern France) and of a city garden where industrial waste was formerly dumped in Bazinghien (also northern France). These locations are absolutely unsuitable for food production, but possibly for the production of natural fibers. Whether this can be done safely is investigated by analyzing the uptake of heavy metals during plant growth, as well as the quality of the fibers and the metal concentration in the fibers after harvest.
The parties involved in New-C-land are Ghent University, Direction Régionale de l’Alimentation, l’Agriculture et la Forêt Nord Pas De Calais, Chambre d’Agriculture de Région Nord Pas-de-Calais, Inagro, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech Axe Echanges Eau-Sol-Plante, Yncrea Hauts de France – Etablissement ISA, Groupe HEI ISA ISEN, ValBiom, Atrasol and Institut National de l’Environnement Industriel et des Risques (INERIS).
