The Use of Biomass in Colombia based on experience from CELISE project secondment. The Coffee Case

The objective of this elaboration was to summarize the knowledge and experience of Authors (Anita Wronka and Grzegorz Kowaluk) focused on coffee production and the produced biomass conversion gained during the secondment completed in Colombia under the European Union Horizon 2020 research and innovation program Marie Sklodowska-Curie Research and Innovation Staff Exchange specific call project “Sustainable production of cellulose-based products and additives to be used in SMEs and rural areas” CELISE, grant agreement No. 101007733, and to refer that knowledge and experience to the economic, technical and scientific state-of-art background in that field.In the scope of this elaboration, the following issues have been addressed:- global and local (Colombia) trends regarding coffee harvesting and production- the authors’ own experience with the coffee plantation in Colombia- overview of residues generated (e.g., coffee pulp, husk, spent coffee grounds)- the significance of coffee production in Colombia’s agricultural sector- the important problem of wastewater from coffee cherry processing- current practices for coffee biomass residue utilization- opportunities and future directions