THE CONTEXT OF OUR ACTIVITIES
The fragile infrastructure of an increasingly interconnected global world is illustrated by the recent financial crisis, dramatic increases in the prices of petroleum and other commodities (including food and feed) and the emergence of new pandemics. The situation in food and feed has been aggravated due to other trends:
- climate change, which has been responsible for un-seasonal droughts and rains and reduction of arable land surfaces,
- diversions of food commodities to high input foods and fuels in developed countries, and
- increasing demand for a more meat-based diet (which implies a less efficient utilization of grain), particularly across the fast expanding middle-class populations of Asia.
While it would be unreasonable to believe that the major factors which have led to the present situation will be reversed any time soon, areas for improvement exist. Among these, there are two key areas of development, which are intimately related to our activities:
increasing agricultural productivity is certainly one of the most important factors which could help restore supply at levels allowing the world to feed itself. In this respect our products
- increase feed efficiency, that is, reduce the amount of feed required to produce a given weight of animal protein
- substantially improve the health and welfare of species that an increasing number of people around the world depend on for food intake,
- provide an alternative to the prophylactic use of antibiotics in animal husbandry, thereby contributing to the development of safer and more natural food.
use of renewable feedstocks for the production of energy, chemicals, and materials. Our focus and demonstrated capabilities on efficient production of aromatic chemicals and polymers from renewable feedstocks has positioned GreenValue to play a central role in the sustainable supply of a group of chemicals that accounts for five out of the twelve most important petrochemicals in today’s industry. Our technologies are compatible with biorefinery processes to produce motor fuels from biomass, improving the economics of such processes.
