A consolidated road map for economically gainful efficient utilization of agro‐wastes for eco‐friendly products

The replacement of fossil carbon with biomass is currently crucial for ecological, environmental, and economic reasons. Although the use of biomass‐derived eco‐friendly products is appealing to the public and to industry, research is slow to meet the demand for it. This may be due to lack of awareness and cooperation among different sectors of science and stakeholders. This paper takes a holistic perspective. It discusses the importance of agro‐waste as a biomass resource and provides suggestions for its effective utilization to make economical and eco‐friendly products. Taking an interdisciplinary approach, it discusses the opportunities for direct, economical, and environmentally friendly research fields such as the modification of plant structure, increasing biomass yield, and conversion of agro‐waste to materials and chemicals. It suggests how these various fields can benefit industry and the public, and also discusses the importance of dialogue between the different stakeholders to accelerate growth in innovation, implementation, and development. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd