What exactly is camelina?

Camelina is an oilseed plant rich in oil and protein belonging to the Brassicaceae family. It attracts the interest of the agricultural, scientific, and industrial communities due to its many advantages. This crop, which requires little water and few agricultural inputs, is also resistant to pests, drought, diseases, and invasive species.

It reaches maturity in just a few months, which allows it to be grown in France as a summer cover crop without disrupting the main crops in the rotation.

Camelina is a short-cycle plant, taking 90 to 100 days to grow. For summer cover cropping, the ideal emergence period is between mid-June and mid-July, ensuring a harvest between September and late October.

Avril is experimenting with this crop with the support of the vegetable oils and proteins sector. The oil from the seeds can be used in multiple applications, but the most promising prospects appear to be in sustainable aviation fuels (SAF).

Once filtered and processed, camelina oil can be blended with kerosene to produce bio-aviation fuel, representing a major lever for the production of sustainable aviation fuels. The ecological benefit is significant, as it could reduce CO2 emissions from aviation by up to 80%.

However, even though the industrial infrastructure already exists, a stable legislative framework is necessary to develop an activity around camelina production.