The cultivation of Brussels sprouts is inextricably linked to our country. Every year, 63,750 tonnes of Brussels sprouts are produced in Flanders on 2,550 ha of land. After harvesting, some 18 to 25 tonnes of Brussels sprout canes remain per hectare. These are left in the field as soil improvers, or possibly used as animal feed.
With this project, Inagro vzw wants to conduct research into a higher-quality valorisation of the residual flow. In this way, we want to work towards a multifunctional agricultural model in which the farm, in addition to being a food producer, is given a new role as a supplier of raw materials for other industries.
By refining the sprout cabbage canes, we get two streams: fibre and juice. The fibre can serve as an alternative to traditional cellulose fibre in various industries, such as the paper industry. The juice we screen for high-quality bioactive compounds that, after extraction and purification, find application in the oleochemical industry.
By valorising the sprout cabbage canes in this way, we are building bridges between various top sectors in Flanders.
Inagro
Partners Tectero, UGent, Landbouwer Rik Dejonghe
Sectors
Themes
Organisations
First, we need to conduct further tests with paper. Together, Stora Enso and Tectero are looking at opportunities to scale up the paper production process and conduct initial printing tests.
In addition, there are still missing puzzle pieces in the logistics process and the financial picture also needs tinkering.
Projects like this are a difficult process: no logistics chain will take off if the potential is not known, but in order to know the potential there is still a lot of testing to be done on a small scale. We were already able to take some important steps and achieve nice results on a technical level, but to move to effective implementation, new grants or investments would be a valuable support.
The knowledge gained from this project will already remain available on our website and with the researchers involved. The knowledge on processing and stabilisation techniques will also be included in other research on valorising agro-residuals.