Increasing farmers’ competitiveness

Founded in 2014 at the Agrarian Innovation and Knowledge Centre Rusthoeve in the Netherlands, the BioBased Innovations Garden meets the growing need for sustainable agricultural practices that enhance soil management and crop resilience. As a demonstration farm, it tests various crops as raw materials for biobased products and experiments with more sustainable ways of growing crops. The Garden is also a platform for different stakeholders to develop innovative value chains and applications within the biobased economy.

In response to increasing pressure on agricultural systems from climate change and resource limitations, the Garden demonstrates how biobased innovations can transform farming into a more sustainable and competitive sector. The cultivation of biobased crops reduces dependency on fossil-based resources.

Over the past decade, the Biobased Innovations Garden has cultivated more than 100 different crops, utilising their products and by-products in various applications with potential in the biobased economy. For instance, a by-product from growing tansy is used as an insecticide, purpurin from madder plant roots serves as a cobalt replacement in batteries, and fibres from hemp, flax and straw are used in insulation. Some products, such as mint and solanine, even find applications in cosmetics.

The BioBased Innovations Garden acts as a hub and demonstration farm where agricultural entrepreneurs, knowledge institutes, and industries such as construction and chemistry collaborate to foster innovation and experiment with new biobased solutions. It supports regional value chain development, helping farmers become more resilient to rising energy costs by reducing their dependency on fossil fuels.

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