Prospects of crambe for the bioeconomy of the Swabian Alb in southwest Germany

Abstract

Crambe (Crambe abyssinica Hochst. ex R.E.Fr.) is a drought-tolerant, non-edible annual oil crop with low fertilization needs, and there are compelling opportunities for crambe to capitalize on market growth in natural cosmetics and the regional sustainability. It is therefore proposed for cleaner biomass production on marginal land, and the development of novel value chains and webs in rural areas. Therefore, this study assesses the prospects for growing and processing crambe in the Swabian Alb, a rural area in southwestern Germany large parts of which are characterized by marginal shallow stony soil. A literature review, stakeholder questionnaires, and a SWOT analysis were used to assess crambe's potential in the region. This informed a locally adapted value web, which combines multiple value chains and stakeholders into one interlinked diagram showing present potential valorization opportunities for crambe in the region. However, it was found that it is not currently possible to implement a value web for crambe in the Swabian Alb. Instead, a single value chain involving farmers, cosmetics companies, and biogas plants is possible. To expand this value chain opportunity into a value web, more information is needed for all stakeholders. European Innovation Action projects could help by providing more information about crambe cultivation and by ensuring ecologic and social sustainability. Economic sustainability, however, will require the involvement of other stakeholders in the value web, so that supply matches demand. Local institutions and networks can share knowledge to grow the currently possible value chain into a broader value web. This approach could also be used in other regions to assess the sustainability of novel biobased value chains across social, economic, and environmental dimensions.