Returning sugar beet to Scotland's fields could help re-invent the country's economy, according to supporters of a new initiative to revive the crop.

Many consumer goods manufacturers have committed to net-zero carbon targets, and will need to replace mineral petrochemical feedstocks with more carbon neutral materials – like the ethanol that can be produced from sugar beet.

The first successful Scottish sugar beet crop in half a century was harvested earlier this year, and the consortium behind the initiative, which includes the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre, SAC Consulting, and Scottish Agricultural Organisation Society, has now secured funding from Scottish Enterprise to support a study into the economic potential of the crop.

The consortium's hope is that a local source of sugar beet could pave the way for the development of an ethanol-producing biorefinery in Grangemouth – the hub of Scotland’s chemicals and petrochemical processing industries – and later support a fully functioning bio-based chemicals industry. Demand for ethanol in Scotland is expected to double in the coming years to more than 100 million litres, yet all of the country’s supply is currently imported from Europe.

Technical director at IBioIC, Ian Archer, said: “Growing sugar beet in Scotland once again is a huge opportunity to re-invent the economy, build sustainability into manufacturing supply chains, and secure jobs for the future. Many of the biggest consumer goods manufacturers have committed to net-zero carbon targets over the next two decades and a big part of that drive will be replacing the use of petrochemicals with natural materials.

“You cannot have a chemicals industry without a feedstock and to retain the sector in Scotland we need a local supply and the supply chains that follow," said Mr Archer. "In northern Europe, that crop is sugar beet and growing it for ethanol production will not only diversify farmers’ income stream, but could allow them to be part of a green alternative to fossil fuels.

“We have made huge progress in the last year that has taken the concept of a bio-economy based on sugar beet production from a nice idea to the harvesting of the first yield in 50 years and the outline of how a farming co-operative would be structured. This next step should confirm what we already know, with data to support the range of benefits associated with growing sugar beet.”

SAOS head of Co-op Development, Jim Booth, commented: “The re-introduction of sugar beet represents an exciting opportunity for farmers. If the proposal is to get off the ground, the only way to get farmer growers involved is through co-operation. Creating a producer co-op means the production, crop management, harvesting, marketing and delivery is optimised, safeguarding grower returns, and importantly ensuring a collaborative supply chain approach.”

Iain Riddell of SAC Consulting added: “We welcome the viability study funding, which gives our Sugar Beet Working Group the opportunity to further investigate agronomy, harvesting logistics, refining and by-products, and, most importantly, the investment required and support mechanisms that could credit sugar beet growers for their contribution to industrial carbon savings, which help achieve Scotland’s net zero targets.

“We are confident we can grow and harvest sugar beet on better land in the East of Scotland with group members already growing it for use in anaerobic digestion plants, and are exploring the potential of localised micro-processing plants as an option for onward transportation of concentrated sugar syrup, rather than the bulky sugar beet crop. Much will depend on government support, investor interest and the offer of long-term contracts that encourage farmers to commit to growing the crop.”