Emerging sustainable
economic development strategy based on
agriculture (as opposed to
petrochemicals). The underlying theory is that anything that now requires
hydrocarbons from petroleum (
fuel,
plastics,
lubricants) could be made from
carbohydrates, like
hemp or agricultural waste (
rice straw,
wheat straw,
whey). Advances in
materials science and technology, along with recent political changes in the way that
fossil fuels are regulated (costs of
pollution control), make plant-based materials nearly competitive. Advocates point to potential advantages:
- rural economic development (creating jobs, increasing $ for crops);
- national security benefits (reducing reliance on foreign oil);
- environmental benefits (reducing VOC emissions and pollution from fossil fuel products)
Phrase coined by David Morris of the
Institute for Local Self Reliance in
1983.
Sources:
Dave Campbell, "Rural development, biorefineries and the carbohydrate economy," Sustainable Agriculture, Winter 1995, vol. 7, no. 1, http://www.sarep.ucdavis.edu/NEWSLTR/v7n1/sa-10.htm;
The Carbohydrate Economy Clearinghouse, http://www.carbohydrateeconomy.org