ERANET - SusCrop - NETFIB

NETFIB is a consortium project proposed to the SusCrop ERA-Net, which Defra is a member of. The sharp increase in demand for plant based fibre raw materials as substitute for man-made fibres in products as diverse as textiles and car parts can only be met by an increased land area given over for fibre production.

However, land is a scarce resource and there is perceived land-use conflict between the needs of food production and non-food production. Producing non-food crop on land marginalised for example by contamination, which is unsuitable for food production might help mitigate this conflict. Nettle (Urtica dioica) has a long history as a fibre crop, but has not been well used in modern times.

NETFIB's overall aim is to develop the capacity for farmers and other land managers to recover nettle as a fibre crop from marginal land, which would otherwise remain under-used, in conjuction with the phytomanagment of that land to manage any risks from it

Additional information:

Please note that Defra procurement uses an E-tendering system for Procurement activities. This is currently provided by Bravo Solutions. To access appropriate tendering and contractual documents, please access the E-Tendering portal at https://defra.bravosolution.co.uk", ensuring that your registration includes "Defra". If you have any problems with this system, please contact Bravo on their telephone helpline number 0800 368 4850 or by emailing them at help@bravosolution.co.uk.