Lignocellulosic byproducts from agriculture and the food industry as a driver of biotechnological production progress

Significant amounts of various residues (i.e. lignocellulosic biomass) are generated in agriculture, food industry and forestry. Therefore, it is important to raise awareness about the possibilities of using such materials, which nowadays should not be treated as waste, but can be used as renewable biotechnological raw materials for the production of chemicals, other high-value products and biofuels. Lignocellulosic material consists mainly of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. The subject of interest of this paper is lignocellulosic waste from agriculture and the food industry as a possible raw material basis for the progress of sustainable biotechnological production in the Republic of Croatia. The available amounts of these lignocellulosic raw materials, the types of bioprocesses in which they can be used, the pretreatment procedures that need to be carried out before the implementation of the bioprocess itself, and the types of biotechnological products that can be obtained have been considered.