Can technology make bio‑based supply chains more sustainable?

Author: Damianos Michailidis | Project Manager at Rainno

We already know that bio-based products can be sustainable and that their supply chains can be very complex and fragile. In previous articles published in ARGONAUT’s website we explored how bio-products, such as bio-leather made from grape waste or probiotic fibers from grain residues, can help us transition into a more circular industrial paradigm. We also analysed the various complexities of their supply chains and the fact that bio-producers need to invest time and effort to make them more resilient.

But there is always the chance that bio-product claims aren’t as they appear. The sustainability of a product isn’t just about its raw materials but many other factors, like the overall energy used for its production, the fuel used to transport it, the chemical processes used to refine it and more. Answering the question “Is this product really sustainable?” is currently not that simple. A product can be bio-based and still not be the more sustainable option because it traveled to your door from the other side of the world. On the contrary, a product produced locally might have a smaller overall impact on the environment even if it is not bio-based. Typically this is not the case. Bio-products are on average more sustainable than their conventional counterparts, but how can we be sure?

The answer is information! Unfortunately, the necessary data needed to make accurate environmental assessments are often missing, and even if they are available, they are fragmented and scattered across static corporate reports or research papers. This “information gap” is currently the biggest hurdle in transparently showcasing and proving bio-products’ sustainability claims. Bridging this gap will allow us to move from a state of assuming that most bio-products are sustainable, to one where we can verify if they really are. Here is where technology comes into the picture.

Calculating environmental impacts

Assessing the impacts of a bio-based product is inherently more complex than assessing a fossil-based one. For example, a plastic bottle made in a factory has a fairly predictable footprint. But a bio-based product relies on biomass, which varies by season, region, and farming method.

Currently, one of the most well accepted methods for calculating environmental impacts is to conduct a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). It is a well established methodology that is very rigorous, but at the same time slow and expensive, since it relies on an expert gathering the relevant data and conducting calculations by hand. These facts make LCA a tool unavailable for most SMEs and leave many of the sustainability claims of bio-products vague. But what if a machine could do the majority of the heavy lifting?

ARGONAUT project’s solution

In the ARGONAUT project we are developing JASON, an AI-powered tool designed to address this issue. JASON’s core functionalities will allow it to bridge the information gap and provide accurate environmental impact assessment of bio-based value chains in a fraction of the time required for traditional LCAs. JASON will be able to:

• Mine knowledge from literature: JASON will be able to extract the necessary information to conduct an environmental impact assessment from a database of scientific literature, corporate reports, and supplier declarations to extract parameters that typically demand extensive manual effort.
• Estimate missing data: Data in bio-based supply chains are often, if not usually, incomplete. JASON will use an “imputation” technique to fill the gap with the best possible estimation. For example, if we lack specific data for a corn farm in a certain region, the AI can estimate it based on patterns from similar verified systems, providing a highly accurate “best guess” to keep the assessment moving.

Essentially, the tool will be able to support producers by automating the tedious and time consuming part of the data collection process and present them with a complete assessment without the use of a PhD expert.

Enhancing transparency

Assessments can be very useful for producers, allowing them to make their processes more sustainable and showcase environmental responsibility, but they are going to be impactful only if people trust them. In a market flooded with overgeneralised “green” claims, how can we convince consumers to trust our assessments?

ARGONAUT’s answer is the Digital Bio-product Passport (DBP) system that we are developing. Think of a DBP as a structured record that travels with the product from the farm to the shelf, containing verified information about its origin, composition, and environmental footprint. The passports will enhance transparency by:

• Presenting information to consumers: Companies could make their product passports available to consumers through QR codes on product packaging or advertisements, allowing them to see a product’s true journey and its corresponding impacts along the way.
• Guaranteeing data integrity: DBPs will employ blockchain technology as a trust layer that anchors all the critical data points, guaranteeing that records can not be tampered with.
  

Assisting the transition to a more circular economy

Combining automated AI assessment with DBPs can provide smaller bio-based producers with the necessary information to improve processes and market their products as sustainable, thus earning consumers trust. 

ARGONAUT solutions aim to assist in building more resilient value chains and combat issues like greenwashing, bridging the gap between good intentions and verified sustainability claims. Ultimately, our goal is to help the overall bio-economy to scale up and create a more sustainable world.

Curious to see how JASON will work in practice? Subscribe to our newsletter to get notifications about development and invites for future online events where we will demonstrate the tool.