4F Crops: Survey and Analyse the Parameters that Play an Important Role in the Successful Establishment of Non-Food Cropping Systems

As different sectors – food, feed, fiber, and fuels – compete for land, the yielding potential of the future non­food crops has to be as efficient as possible in order to minimize the competition for land. The main objective of 4F CROPS project was to survey and analyze all the parameters that play an important role in successful non­food cropping systems in the agriculture of EU27 alongside the existing food crop systems. The work started with the prediction of the future land use in short term (2020) and long term (2030), taking under consideration restrict factors for agriculture and the market were determined. This group of non­food crops was subjected to a comparative cost analysis with conventional crops for the same time framework. Socio­economic impacts, like farmers’ income, rural development, public development, and public acceptance were analyzed. Then environmental implications were assessed compared to their respective conventional products (fossil energy, conversional materials). Several environmental impacts were assessed like soil quality and soil erosion, air quality and climate change, water issues, biodiversity and landscape by using LCA and EIE methods. The regulatory framework of the non­food crops were considered including existing policies, co­existence and safety measures when the crops used for both food and non­food crops. The collected information was used for the formation of scenarios for the successful non­food cropping alongside food cropping systems answering whether a completive bioeconomy is a viable option for EU27.