Old Efforts at New Uses: A Brief History of Chemurgy and the American Search for Biobased Materials

Abstract

SummaryThe American search for biobased and renewable raw materials has a long history of intermittent success and frustration. This article traces the history of the chemurgy movementa precursor to what are now sometimes called agricultural "new uses" initiatives-from its context of the 1920s through its emergence as a political force in the mid-1930s, when chemurgy offered a strategy for industries and governments interested in reviving the agricultural economy and reducing dependence upon foreign sources of industrial raw materials. Chemurgists put pressure upon the U.S. Department of Agriculture to devote greater attention to crop utilization research, efforts that were operational in time to make important contributions to the U.S. economy during World War II. This article devotes considerable attention to the postwar era, a period not discussed in most histories of chemurgy. The article concludes with a tentative assessment of issues that caused chemurgy to falter in the past as well as precautionary lessons for the contemporary study of biobased materials.

The Route to Sustainability—Prospects and Challenges of the Bio-Based Economy

“…The notion of a bio-based economy has its roots in the Chemurgic movement of the 1920s and 1930s [32]. Over the last two decades it has become increasingly used and recognized in the sustainability debate [33] and the status of the bio-based economy is often described as emerging or rapidly developing [34].…”

Existe-t-il réellement un nouveau paradigme de la chimie verte ?

“…L'usage du végétal doit en fait d'abord être rattaché aux stratégies des agro-industries qui, depuis toujours, ont consacré une part de leurs productions à la chimie (Finlay, 2004). Trois phénomènes contemporains les ont conduits à accentuer cette relation Garnier, 2012).…”

Cuphea

“…However, new crop development requires especially robust management, due to often insecure resourcing, the potentially narrow genetic base, uncertainty over intellectual property right issues, the need to document performance, and the risks for grower, promoter and regulatory agencies. Perception of a new crop's potential may fluctuate with large external factors, such as progress with alternative sources of target products (Finlay 2004). Research support is highly sensitive to external circumstances, such as budgets, periodicity of crisis, such as the recent increase in oil price, or poor markets for crops currently in production, causing the grower to look for new crops or market solutions.…”