In the United Kingdom, consumer products giant Unilever has announced a new partnership with ag innovator Nufarm to develop a variety of sugarcane capable of producing oils for cleaning products.
The project focuses on cultivating a biomass-rich crop capable of producing sustainable oils from the entire plant—including leaves and stems—rather than just seeds and fruits. The approach could create a new source of fatty acids, which are essential for laundry detergents and personal care items.
Nufarm has previously developed a sustainable sugar cane variety known as energy cane, which yields more plant matter and sugar than traditional sugar cane.
In addition to oil production, the crop will continue to yield sugar, which could be leveraged for specialty ingredients like fragrances and enzymes. Unilever will also explore the use of leftover plant fibers for packaging materials. The initiative supports Unilever’s previously announced goal to phase out the use of ingredients based on fossil fuels from its cleaning products by 2030.