DWG Next's Partner, Angela Grassi, through our Allied Partner, ETA-Florence Renewable Energies, led the dissemination, communication, exploitation, public awareness and engagement workstream of the BECOOL project under the European Commission's Horizon 2020 programme between 2017 and 2021.

BECOOL advanced the development of integrated biomass supply systems combining 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 tested and demonstrated innovative cropping systems in which dedicated annual lignocellulosic crops are cultivated alongside conventional food crops during periods when food crops are absent, significantly reducing land-use competition between food and biofuel production while improving overall land-use efficiency and maintaining continuous soil cover. The integrated approach delivered multiple environmental benefits through crop rotation and diversification, enhancing soil fertility, improving soil protection, supporting landscape quality, and broadening feedstock availability. Perennial grasses cultivated on marginal and idle lands further complemented the lignocellulosic feedstock supply, strengthening the overall sustainability of advanced biofuel production.