Issues in Contemporary Agriculture:
Fibre (Materials)

In the News

'Green' Car Part to Debut in 2010

(University of Guelph News, November 12, 2009)  The world's first car to have interior parts made from wheat straw-reinforced plastic - created via technology that has roots at the University of Guelph - is set to roll off the assembly lines in the new year.  Read more

Trent Launches Biomaterials Research Program

(Country Guide, October 22, 2009)  Trent University at Peterborough, Ont. has launched a new lab and research program aimed at the use of plant oils to make new biomaterials.

The Trent Biomaterials Research Program is to be led by Trent alumnus Suresh Narine, recruited to Trent from the University of Alberta, where he built the Alberta Lipid Utilization Research Program, focused on the use of fats and oils to produce industrial materials, edible applications and cosmetic ingredients.  Read more

From Chicken Feathers to Flower Pots

(Sharon Durham, USDA Agricultural Research Service, in BITES-L, September 8, 2009)  Chicken feathers, usually an unwanted byproduct of poultry processing, may have a more valuable future as an ingredient in biodegradable flower pots, according to an Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientist.  Read more

Going Green with Natural Fibres

(Morden Times, July 2, 2009)  The possibilities for natural fibres have expanded beyond traditional fabrics into applications no one ever imagined.

And the United Nations has 'caught the wave.' Following on last year's worldwide celebration of the potato, the international body declared 2009 as International Year of Natural Fibres.

It has given a boost to research efforts which include work now being done at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) station in Morden.  Read more

New Products Transforming Alberta's Agriculture and Forest Industries

(Government of Alberta Press Release, June 5, 2009)  The new Alberta Biomaterials Development Centre will help Alberta's agriculture and forestry industries develop new ways to make products from plant fibre and other bio-based feedstock.  Read more

Microscopic Manufacturers Produce Eco-Friendly Plastics

(American Society for Microbiology Press Release in FSNet, May 19, 2009)  Last year's energy crisis highlighted an unforseen by-product of the looming fuel shortages of the 21st century. Petroleum-based products such as plastics that society takes for granted but now requires to function will run out with the oil. Scientists are looking to microorganisms to pick up the slack and help produce environmentally friendly plastics, according to research presented today at the 109th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology.  Read more

Alberta Puts Trust Funds into Ag Fibre Research

(Country Guide, January 25, 2009) A project to develop soundproofing and car and furniture parts from hemp, flax and forest fibre will be a beneficiary of Alberta's share from the federal Community Development Trust.

The provincial government announced Friday it would invest $10 million from the CDT in three projects to develop "environmentally friendly products and processes" in Alberta's renewable resource sectors. The funding will flow through the Alberta Forestry Research Institute.   Read more

Ontario Backs Crop-Based Auto Parts

(Country Guide, January 23, 2009) The Ontario government will invest a total of $2.5 million in new product development by three companies making auto parts from crop fibres and oils.

The funding will flow through the Guelph-based Ontario BioAuto Council, a provincially-backed organization connecting plant-based chemical and fibre processors with the province's auto parts and assembly sectors.  Read more