Nufarm supplying biomass oil to Unilever

Crop protection firm Nufarm has formed a multi-year strategic partnership with Unilever to promote biomass oil in the FMCG market and thus reduce the need for fossil-based ingredients. This will focus on scaling the technology Nufarm has already developed and commercialised for energy cane, a high biomass sugar cane, and forage sorghum. 

Energy cane is said to have such sustainability benefits as climate stress tolerance, drought resistance, more efficient protection of soil against erosion and harvesting benefits for farmers and the environment. The aim is to replicate and build upon these traits in the new crop, to support Unilever’s climate ambitions.  

Nufarm added that the energy cane crop will also continue to produce sugar, which could be used in other biotechnological processes to generate speciality ingredients such as fragrances, enzymes and cleaning ingredients in Unilever’s portfolio. Other parts could go into plant fibre for paper and board and renewable energy production.