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Oléagineux, Corps Gras, Lipides. Volume 19, Number 1, 1-5, Janvier-Février 2012, Dossier lipochimie

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Author(s) : Hilaire Bewa, Virginie Le Ravalec

Summary : Chemical industry is a key sector on the world industrie with a twolrd urnover that reached 1 871 billions of euros in 2009 and with an annual turnove in France of 77 billions in 2010. This industry, essentially based on the use of of fossil ressources (most of all oil), has been facing for several years significant challenges: scarcity of raw material, strengthening of the regulatory structure in the European Union (REACH), international competition from emerging countries… In this context, chemical industry is currently undergoing fundamental changes to a cleaner and smore ustainable chemistry. In France, a particular emphasis was placed on the vegetal-based chemistry which represents a significant potential for innovation and a substantial market. So, numerous initiatives have been taken in order to increase the competitiveness of this sector, integrating all players involved (biomass producers, agribusiness, chemists, distributors…).The market of bio-sourced products derived from this chemistry is still weak, but has been recording continual growth for several years now.

Keywords : green chemistry, bio-sourced products, France, context, initiatives, competitiveness, impediments