The 2025 evokeAG conference, themed “Common Ground,” brought together agrifood tech innovators, researchers, and industry leaders to explore transformative opportunities in agriculture. One key trend was the upcycling of agricultural waste streams into valuable products such as biofuels, biopolymers, and biochar. This emerging trend aligns with climate resilience strategies and circular economy practices, opening new revenue streams for farmers while improving environmental sustainability.
Unlocking the potential of agricultural waste in WA
Western Australian farmers generate over 10 million tonnes of waste biomass annually, much of which remains underutilised. Emerging technologies are now offering pathways to convert this biomass into commercially viable products, addressing waste management challenges while supporting global efforts to reduce carbon footprints and promote renewable energy sources.
Innovative solutions from evokeAG
Several companies showcased innovative solutions for transforming agricultural waste at evokeAG in 2024 and 2025:
ByoMax has developed a process to convert agricultural waste into high-performance reduction agents for industries like steel manufacturing. ByoMax has signed a non-binding Letter of Intent with Green Steel WA to supply ByoCoke for a green steel plant in Collie, WA, replacing traditional coal and coke with biomass-derived alternatives.
ALGAESYS integrates algae cultivation with wastewater treatment, offering a sustainable approach to agricultural waste management.
Energy Farmers Australia, based in Geraldton, has developed pyrolysis technology that converts organic waste into biochar and bioenergy. Their systems can process various waste streams, including grain dust and non-commercial grain, significantly reducing waste volumes. The resulting biochar serves as a carbon-rich soil amendment, improving soil fertility while sequestering carbon.
Farmed Carbon has pioneered a method of converting rice straw waste into bio-asphalt, providing an environmentally-friendly alternative to traditional bitumen for road surfaces.
Benefits for Western Australian farmers
Adopting technologies that convert agricultural waste into valuable products presents significant opportunities for Western Australian farmers:
- Diversified income streams: Instead of leaving biomass underutilised or bearing the costs of waste disposal, farmers can convert biomass into marketable products such as biofuels, biopolymers, and biochar, unlocking new revenue sources.
- Improved waste management: Waste conversion technologies offer practical solutions for handling agricultural residues, reducing environmental impact and promoting circular economy practices.
- Climate resilience: Biofuels and biochar production contribute to mitigating climate change by offering sustainable energy alternatives and improving soil carbon sequestration. As climate variability continues to pose challenges to agricultural productivity, adopting these technologies can help future-proof farming operations, ensuring long-term sustainability and environmental stewardship.
Turning saline water into an opportunity
Another emerging opportunity is the use of saline or brackish water, often seen as a waste byproduct. Instead of viewing saline water as a liability, farmers can use it to cultivate salt-tolerant crops such as seaweeds and algae. These fast-growing plants have commercial applications in biofuel production, livestock feed, soil conditioners, and carbon sequestration. Companies like SeaStock are actively working in this space, cultivating native Australian seaweed species to produce compounds for food and beverage, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals.
Additionally, seaweed farming helps absorb excess nutrients from water systems, improving water quality while generating a valuable product. Integrating saline agriculture into existing farming operations can turn a challenge into a sustainable and profitable opportunity.
Embracing the circular economy
A highlight of evokeAG 2025 was the “Agriculture in Real Time” side tour, which included a visit to Pyrocal, a biochar facility using nut waste and other feedstocks. Pyrocal’s business model focuses on selling biochar-producing machinery while also researching ways to optimise economies of scale.
By adopting circular economy practices, Western Australian farmers can reduce environmental impact, improve resilience to climate shocks such as frost, and contribute to broader sustainability goals. Companies like ByoMax, Energy Farmers Australia, and Farmed Carbon are leading the way in turning agricultural waste management from a challenge into an opportunity.
Supporting Western Australian farmers with reliable information
At the South-West WA Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub (SW WA Hub), our role is to provide farmers with access to reliable, up-to-date information. As new markets and technologies emerge, we aim to support farmers in making informed decisions about integrating these innovations into their operations, ensuring a more sustainable and profitable future for agriculture in Western Australia.
