Conclusion

The diversity of molecular and supramolecular plant structures is as flexible as a chemical Swiss army knife when it comes to biobased products. However, domestication of a new plant species requires about twenty years; the genetic improvement of one species to produce a new variety, regardless of the technology used, takes about ten. However, developments in enzymes and fermentation facilitate the adaptation of molecular structures to their uses in less than five years. The power of these biotechnologies brings the cost of obtaining agricultural and forestry raw materials to the forefront, emphasising the need to find a balance between the two stages of production and transformation.

Public policy, while based on environmental impact reduction and the social acceptability of biotechnologies, will thus direct the choices made by economic...