Stringent environmental legislation and consumer awareness are driving the transition to a bio-based economy and models of sustainable development which offer high perspectives for natural fibre markets. Moving to a bio-based economy requires substitution of many common raw materials that are currently largely produced from fossil (petrochemical) or mineral resources, with products produced from renewable (plant and animal based) resources.
Substitute to synthetics
Natural fibres are increasingly being recognized as a favorable substitute to synthetics which use unsustainable inputs. Aside from technical and cost advantages, such products have the added attraction of meeting growing consumer awareness with respect to environmental, sustainability and social standards contributing to:
• Encouraging the growth of sustainable agriculture
• Uptake of environmentally friendly production and processing technologies
• Fostering economic development
• Strengthening the participation of smallholders in the value chain
2. Stringent environmental legislation and consumer
awareness are driving the transition to a bio-based
economy and models of sustainable development
which offer high perspectives for natural fibre
markets. Moving to a bio-based economy requires
substitution of many common raw materials that are
currently largely produced from fossil
(petrochemical) or mineral resources, with products
produced from renewable (plant and animal based)
resources.
3. Substitute to synthetics
Natural fibres are increasingly being recognized as a
favorable substitute to synthetics which use
unsustainable inputs. Aside from technical and cost
advantages, such products have the added attraction
of meeting growing consumer awareness with
respect to environmental, sustainability and social
standards contributing to:
4. • Encouraging the growth of sustainable agriculture
• Uptake of environmentally friendly production
and processing technologies
• Fostering economic development
• Strengthening the participation of smallholders in
the value chain
5. • Encouraging the growth of sustainable agriculture
• Uptake of environmentally friendly production
and processing technologies
• Fostering economic development
• Strengthening the participation of smallholders in
the value chain
6. The hard fibres: Acaba, Coir and Sisal, and bast
fibres: Jute and Kenaf, are all natural fibres which
have various and multiple end uses. Their versatility
and environmentally friendly characteristics are
strong advantages over synthetic alternatives. Each
of the fibres has their particular strengths but all
have the benefit of being naturally derived and
increasingly recognised as a sustainable choice.
7. Technical and economic benefits
Research is increasingly demonstrating the technical
and economic benefits of including natural
components in industrial products. Therefore,
competitive products based on the natural fibres are
being developed that show excellent technical
performance and harm the environment less than
current products based on petrochemical materials.
Fibre composites can be found in packaging,
building, and furniture materials in addition to the
traditional products such as rope, twine and carpets.
The economic value of the fibre crop depends on
its end-use market and costs of production.
8. New opportunities
As the popularity of natural fibres in industrial uses
expands there are new opportunities for hard fibres
and jute to reach high end value markets. The scope
of possible uses of the future fibres is enormous.
This has been recently highlighted by the
declaration of United Nations for 2009 as
International Year of Natural Fibres (IYNF).
