Valorization of Agroforest Crops for Biomass Utilization

There is a growing need to consider alternative agricultural strategies that move an agricultural industry focused on food production to one that also supplies the needs of other industrial sectors, such as paper, textiles, biofuels or added-value chemicals, in the context of the so-called lignocellulose biorefinery. Biorefineries use renewable raw materials to produce energy together with a wide range of everyday commodities in an economic manner. Decreasing our dependency on fossil fuel reserves and boosting rural development are important goals of modern society. Biorefineries are therefore seen as a very promising route to meeting our aims for sustained prosperity and preserving the environment. Renewable sources of energy and products are required for sustainable development of our society in the near future. Plant biomass is the main source of renewable materials in Earth and represents a potential source of renewable energy and biobased products. Biomass is available in high amounts at very low cost (as forest, agricultural or industrial lignocellulosic wastes and cultures) and could be a widely available and inexpensive source for biofuels and bioproducts in the near future.