Horst W. Doelle. 1998. Socio-economic microbial process strategies for a sustainable development using environmentally clean technologies. Renewable Resource: Sagopalm.  
In: Integrated Bio-Systems in Zero Emissions Applications.
Proceedings of the Internet Conference on Integrated Biosystems.
Eds: Eng-Leong Foo & Tarcisio Della Senta. 1998 http://www.ias.unu.edu/proceedings/icibs/doelle 
 
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About the Author
Prof. Horst W.Doelle 
Director 
MIRCEN-Biotechnology Brisbane and  
the Pacific Regional Network, 
c/o 21, Belsize St., Kenmore 4069, Australia. 
E-mail: H.Doelle@mailbox.uq.edu.au
 
Prof. Horst W. Doelle, D.Sc. is a microbial physiologist/biochemist and fermentation technology expert and taught these subjects for 29 years at the Univ. of Queensland in Australia. Since 1975 he is involved with Unesco teaching and educating the developing world in these areas with specific emphasis on waste and renewable resource conversion into value-added and/or products for the regeneration and sustainability of our ecosystem and improving health care, minimising the risks of outbreaks of infectious diseases. The field of socio-economic biotechnology and integrated biosystems are main areas of concerns in many publications since 1980. The author has now retired from the University, but is still engaged in teaching and curriculum development in SEAsia and the Pacific Region as director of the UNESCO Microbial Resources Centre (MIRCEN) in Brisbane and the Pacific regional network. 
Abstract
In order to secure health with high life expectancy and to become self-efficient, which means supply and demand for domestic consumption is guaranteed, each government must strive and direct all its efforts towards increasing renewable resource production, thereby maintaining or reducing its demand by diversification of the staple food and at the same time remove health hazardeous wastes. Increased monoculture with a single outlet will continue to cause problems to farmers and the ecological environment. In order to foster deurbanisation, the farmer has to be offered attractive alternatives, which means security through a change from a mono- to a multiple-product agricultural industry. This alternative must include clean technologies providing the people with a cleaner environment [prevention of infectious diseases], food, feed, fertiliser, fuel as well as energy.    

In SEAsia and parts of the Pacific Region, the sagopalm is a unique renewable resource and was therefore selected for this presentation. The palm grows well in swampy areas unsuitable for other crops, is very suitable for humid tropical low lands and contains an average of 160 kg starch, which can be increased to 275 kg in a well attended farm. This means that an average 25 t of starch/hectare sagopalm cultivation could be obtained.    

A comprehensive socio-economic integrated biosystem will be presented, whereby the sagopalm farm can be used to supply    
      1. house building material    
      2. energy through gasification    
      3. mushroom production    
      4. starch flour    
      5. ethanol for biofuel    
      6. methane or biogas for energy    
      7. aquaponics and fish production for food    
      8. microbial protein for animal feed    
      9. compost or other residual effluent for organic fertilisation of the farm    
Such a system would increase self-efficiency on the farm, clean environment through reutilisation of the so-called 'waste' into value-added products and thus greatly increase the income of the farming  community.    

The details of using and selecting the necessary microbial systems can be read in details in 'Microbial Process Development' by H.W.Doelle, published by World Scientific Publ. in Singapore in 1994.