BECOOL focuses on the development of integrated biomass supply systems that combine annual and perennial dedicated lignocellulosic crops with agricultural and industrial residues, including cereal straw, sugar cane straw, bagasse, and lignin-rich by-products.

The project tests and demonstrates innovative cropping systems in which dedicated annual lignocellulosic crops are grown alongside conventional food crops. These biomass crops are primarily cultivated during periods when food crops are not grown, thereby significantly reducing competition for land between food and biofuel production while improving overall land-use efficiency and maintaining continuous soil cover.

Such integrated systems deliver multiple environmental benefits. Positive crop interactions—through rotation and diversification—enhance soil fertility, improve soil protection, support landscape quality, increase biodiversity, and broaden feedstock availability. Together, these effects contribute to more resilient and sustainable agricultural practices.

In parallel, perennial grasses grown on marginal or idle lands complement the lignocellulosic feedstock derived from integrated food–biofuel rotations. This strategy further increases biomass supply without competing with productive farmland, strengthening the sustainability of advanced biofuel production.