Diversifying revenue in rural Africa through circular, sustainable and replicable bio-based solutions and business models

Project Information

BIO4AFRICA

Grant agreement ID: 101000762

DOI

10.3030/101000762

Project closed

EC signature date 5 May 2021

Start date 1 June 2021

End date 31 May 2025

Funded under

• SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine, maritime and inland water research, and the bioeconomy

Total cost

€ 8 999 693,75

EU contribution

€ 8 999 693,75

Coordinated by

CENTRE DE COOPERATION INTERNATIONALE EN RECHERCHE AGRONOMIQUE POUR LEDEVELOPPEMENT - C.I.R.A.D. EPIC
France

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - BIO4AFRICA (Diversifying revenue in rural Africa through circular, sustainable and replicable bio-based solutions and business models)

Reporting period: 2022-12-01 to 2024-05-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

African agri-food systems are at the crossroads of major socio-economic and environmental challenges and have the potential to significantly contribute to poverty reduction and food security while promoting inclusive and sustainable rural development. The introduction of bioeconomy in African forage agri-food systems can offer a suite of new opportunities for rural communities to become more resilient and sustainable. However, barriers such as the lack of quality feed, suitable bio-based technologies, and expertise and resources to set up viable business models can hinder the exploitation of these opportunities. BIO4AFRICA sets the overall objective to support the deployment of the bioeconomy in rural Africa via the development of bio-based solutions and value chains with a circular approach to drive the cascading use of local resources and diversify the income of farmers. Our focus is on transferring simple, small-scale and robust biobased technologies adapted to local biomass, to meet needs and contexts (green biorefinery, pyrolysis, hydrothermal carbonisation, briquetting, pelletising, bio-composites and bioplastics production). In doing so we aim at empowering farmers to sustainably produce a variety of higher value bio-based products and energy (animal feed, fertiliser, pollutant absorbents, construction materials, packaging, solid fuel for cooking and ingredients for biogas production), significantly improving the environmental, economic and social performance of their agri-food systems. To this end, we have set up 4 pilot cases in Uganda, Ghana, Senegal and Cote D'Ivoire, offering to local communities the opportunity to test the provided solutions in real productive conditions.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The context analysis of target rural communities with a gender lens, value chains, available technologies and financial and funding instruments was successfully conducted through different tools and approaches and all findings have been synthesized to a comprehensive multi-perspective view. A selection of 27 local biomass feedstocks has been carried out and their quality has been evaluated in terms of suitability for the focused technologies via the creation of a database of properties. The green biorefinery technology in Uganda is fully operational, while the replication in Ghana is under development considering that the basic installation has been completed. Regarding the implementation of pyrolysis, the Brazilian kilns technology was successfully transferred to pilot cases in Cote d’Ivoire, Senegal and Ghana and lab-scale experiments with local biomasses have been performed to serve as a comparison with the results from the local pyrolysis technologies. A first version of the HTC pilot unit has been successfully developed and installed in Senegal, with laboratory tests conducted with two Senegalese feedstocks. Pelletization trials on specific biomasses have been conducted in Senegal, while briquetting tests have been performed. Briquetting has already been carried out in Senegal using biochar from local and Brazilian kiln technologies, and these briquettes are being tested for use as cooking fuel. Pelletization trials have been carried out with existing technology in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, further trials will be carried out with improved pelletizing technology in Côte d’Ivoire, and with novel biomasses (biorefinery-derived protein concentrate) in Ghana. The transfer and upcoming installation of a new pelletization line for pilot activities, construction and testing of a prototype water filtration unit with biochar, and development of lab processes for biocomposites and bioplastics production from cocoa pods and rice husks were also conducted. Of the 22 planned pilot trials, 14 were underway while four of which were completed. Following the initial co-design of the 10 Bio4Africa business models, an iterative validation and improvement process was implemented including real-life evidence from external stakeholders participating in the pilot activities, resulting in an active involvement of 392 stakeholders. In parallel, a very promising accelerator program was implemented in all pilot countries, with 20 companies across the whole value chain. Moreover, a comprehensive training program has been executed, including 4 bootcamps and a mentoring program focused on the circular economy through the technologies developed in BIO4Africa. A dissemination and communication strategy is implemented, entailing web portal and SoMe accounts, promotional material, newsletters, scientific publications, articles and mutually beneficial synergies with relevant projects and networks. 4 Policy dialogue events have been held, attended by key stakeholders and policymakers, to discuss how the bioeconomy can be stimulated in each country.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The first of its kind mapping of 72 small-scale biobased technologies amenable to be implemented in rural African context has been conducted. Systematic comparative studies are being carried out on more than 40 African biomass samples with high availability potential, filling the gap of poor documentation of African biomass feedstock in terms of properties and behaviour during processing. A small-scale green biorefinery has been adapted to the local feedstock and rural context in Uganda and Ghana. A series of pyrolysis lab experiments has been conducted on local biomass feedstocks in line with requirements for each specific biochar application of interest for BIO4AFRICA and the Brazilian kilns pyrolysis technology has been adapted and transferred to Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal. Research work on applications of biochar at an early stage of development, such as for water filtration media, additive in anaerobic digester, soil fertilizer, and solid fuel, has been initiated. In Senegal, a small-capacity, economically affordable HTC technology has been developed and tested using local wet biomass feedstocks. A numerical model has been developed to study reactor hydrodynamics. The replication, customization and packaging of the HTC pilot unit in Uganda have started. The whey from processing locally produced forage in the green biorefinery of both Uganda and Ghana has been examined to carry out protein analysis and cell culture testing to assess its potential as a source of high-value ingredients.
Animal feeding trials have been carried out in Côte d’Ivoire using novel feedstocks transformed into feed pellets for the target animals. Feedstocks include local forage species, and agri-food residues. The trials have involved sheep, rabbits, and will soon include poultry and catfish. Fish feeding trials (catfish) have also been initiated in Ghana using agri-food residues and fish meal. Trials have been carried out of biochar-based products derived from agri-food residues in Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal. The new trials with Brazilian kiln-derived biochar include water filtration trials in a specially constructed village-scale water tower in Côte d’Ivoire, biogas production performance improvement additive trials in Senegal, and biogas production pollutant adsorbent trials in Senegal. Biochar produced from HTC technology, agri-food residues and invasive species, has been trialled in Senegal as a biogas production performance improvement additive and biogas production pollutant adsorbent. Finally, 11 novel circular bio-based business models have been developed through a multi-actor participatory approach and have been validated by 392 local stakeholders.

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