Climate-smart local sorghum: the next frontier in biodegradable Fashion

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Exploring a new generation of textile and bio-based material through the innovative superpower crop sorghum with its strong agronomic resilience regarding the climate crisis, unlocking its potential for the textile industry. Its versatile uses (food, energy, textiles, dyeing...) would contribute to the advancement of an eco-responsible society while addressing current resilience challenges in both the agro-food and textile sectors. Our challenge is to create an innovative fully biodegradable textile from sorghum. A chain of clothing stores will be flourishing across Switzerland in a few years. Featuring a new range of clothing created entirely from organic plant-based textiles made from local sorghum in Switzerland. Finally, our project includes a large-scale recycling initiative to transform these fully biodegradable clothes into humus for soil regeneration through industrial, municipal, and institutional aerobic composting. What if a plant grown in Switzerland could become the raw material for a fully biodegradable new textile used in the Fashion industry? Our project explores this possibility by studying the potential of Swiss sorghum as a resource for developing this type of materials. This project lies at the intersection of three fields: local agricultural resources, biomass processing technologies, and the development of new materials. Its ambition is not simply to find an additional use for sorghum, but to determine whether this plant can open up new possibilities for clothing design. This involves studying how its fibers and plant fractions can be prepared, processed, combined, and shaped to achieve properties suited to specific applications. Scientific studies have already explored the extraction of cellulosic fibers from sorghum and their use as reinforcing agents in composites. Our project aims to expand on this research through an experimental approach focused on sorghum grown in Switzerland, by comparing scientific possibilities with real-world processing constraints. Our project is studying an agricultural resource that has yet to be fully explored in the targeted textile applications. It will seek to identify the fractions of Swiss sorghum that exhibit characteristics of interest for the production of fibers, or Polylactic Acid (PLA) biocomposites. The challenge is to determine whether the properties of this biomass make it possible to consider uses that have not yet been established in the Swiss context. These experiments will help us understand how the material behaves, what properties can be achieved, and what applications might be feasible. The goal is not to predefine a product, but to let the experimental results guide the design of the first applications. If the results are favorable, the sorghum project could serve as the starting point for a new approach to the development of bio-based materials in Switzerland. The possible creation of an industry cluster will be considered only after the necessary technical, economic, and environmental conditions have been validated. A chain of clothing stores will then be flourishing across Switzerland in a few years. Featuring a new range of clothing created entirely from organic plant-based textiles made from local sorghum in Switzerland. Finally, our project includes a large-scale recycling initiative to transform these fully biodegradable clothes into humus for soil regeneration through industrial, municipal, and institutional aerobic composting. Problems to get solved: 1 The textile industry has significant impact on the environment: There is a significant pesticide pollution emerging in water and soil linked to cotton cultivation. As well as chemicals and microplastics (microfibers and PFAS) released into water during textile finishing and every wash of synthetic fabrics. There is globally high water requirements for the cotton cultivation, (depletion of water resources and water pollution) In addition, the carbon footprint of polyester and animal textile products (leather, sheep wool) is harmful. - Requires high water resources for farming, processing - Processing generates significant pollutions - Generates soil, water and air pollutions - High use of pesticides and fertilizers in conventional farming - Fast fashion industry generates negative side streams; this leads to ecosphere pollutions, high carbon footprint and health issues. 2 There is no local plant-based climate smart textile industry in Switzerland - High production costs - Lack of knowledge - Climate-smart cultivation is not established yet - Lack of awareness - Local cultivation of most tropical textile crops is currently not possible (cotton, kapok, vegetable ivory, jute, ramie, raffia…); because the Swiss climate conditions are clearly not matching, and because of high water requirements, this leads to the outsourcing of crop production. Our solution: Creation of an alternative and innovative fully biodegradable textile from sorghum. Our solution shows self-sufficiency in terms of climate smart textiles production when projecting into a post-oil era context Our solution does not aim to recycle already produced textiles (cotton, polyester, etc.) into second-hand garments and repurpose them. Instead, it aims to focus on an innovative, multi-purpose crop (food, textiles, etc.) that do not requires an excessive footprint in terms of production land and at the same time to add value to by-products from agriculture. Our holistic approach would therefore allow us not to recycle textiles into end-of-life garments, but to recycle them through professional aerobic composting and the formation of humus for the soil regeneration (fully compostable clothing). Textile production could shift away from resource-intensive monoculture by using regional crop residues and preventing massive textile waste accumulation in the Global South. By delivering validated prototypes of sorghum-based fibrous materials and PLA biocomposites, our solution will show a novel pathway for converting climate-smart agricultural resources into high-value biodegradable fashion materials. The expected outcome is the creation of sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based textiles, contributing to reduced environmental impact. Needs of Fashion & Lifestyle industry: In 2018 the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) as well as the associations Swiss Textiles and amfori initiated the initiative Sustainable Textiles Switzerland 2030. This simply shows us the needs and demand for the establishment of such an innovative sector. Our idea is radical and innovative because it proposes cultivating the innovative sorghum crop for textile purposes, in order to create textile materials entirely produced here in Switzerland. The search for renewable raw materials and solutions for biomass utilization is an increasingly important issue for the textile, design, and materials industries. Flax and hemp already demonstrate the potential of certain agricultural crops for the production of fibers and technical materials. However, developing a local supply chain requires agronomic expertise, appropriate processing methods, market opportunities, and a coherent economic framework. Sorghum offers a complementary avenue worth exploring. This plant is known for its relative drought tolerance and, in addition to its grain, produces plant biomass consisting of stems and leaves. These components contain lignocellulosic materials that could be studied for various material applications. Our project does not assume that sorghum can directly replace flax or hemp. It seeks to determine what properties the material available in Switzerland actually possesses and what uses might be compatible with its characteristics. The opportunity lies in this still-open question: Can a Swiss agricultural resource be transformed into a material with sufficient technical interest and added value to support a new local industry? Customers: Initially a high-end niche market, high fashion, could then be applied to a larger mass of consumers, particularly in the event of a major energy and hydroclimatic crisis. Vegan customers, eco-aware customers. Benefits: Improved health, environment and self-sufficiency Sustainable development: Our idea contributes to a more sustainable and healthy climate-resilient society, from textile production all the way to clothing and soil regeneration. The fact that a material is plant-based is not enough to demonstrate its environmental benefits. Our project will therefore include an initial assessment of resource consumption, processes, sustainability, and end-of-life options. This approach will help distinguish a material that is simply bio-based from a solution whose environmental benefits can be demonstrated. Idea workplan: A central objective of our project is the development, optimization, and validation of innovative biodegradable materials derived from locally grown sorghum. Building on the crop's climate resilience and abundant lignocellulosic biomass, the project will establish a proof of concept for transforming sorghum residues into sustainable textile and biocomposite materials for fashion applications. This project will support the production of a series of functional prototypes through the extraction and processing of sorghum fibers and their integration with bio-based polymers such as PLA. These prototypes will be designed to show the technical feasibility, environmental benefits, and commercial potential of sorghum-derived materials as alternatives to conventional synthetic textiles. Specifically, the project will: Develop environmentally sustainable methods for the extraction and treatment of sorghum fibers from locally available agricultural residues. Produce and characterize sorghum-based fibrous materials suitable for textile and fashion applications. Formulate and manufacture biodegradable PLA-sorghum composites with enhanced mechanical and functional properties. Fabricate prototype products, including biocomposite sheets, fashion accessories, and material samples for design applications. Assess key performance indicators such as strength, flexibility, durability, biodegradability, and user suitability. Evaluate the scalability and economic viability of the proposed production processes to support future industrial adoption. Period Activities Months 1–3 Procurement, characterization, and test definition Months 4–6 Biomass preparation and process comparison Months 7–9 Prototype fabrication and technical testing Months 10–12 Economic evaluation, summary, and recommendations Risks: At the crops production level: •Little knowledge about sorghum cultivation for textile production under Swiss growing conditions (yield & quality) •Lack of adapted equipment for harvesting and processing •Investment in production machinery may be too high At the crops processing level: •Processing expertise and facilities are not available in Switzerland •Quality profile of this new textile may not be adapted to local preferences •Fashion industry may not be ready to invest in new textile source •Customers may not be willing to pay more for a local and sustainable eco textile Resources: Our current estimate of required resources and work packages depends on the exploration phase and the transformation solutions and partners we may identify. Based on our modest experience in Switzerland, we estimate that approximately CHF 20,500 would be needed to create a promising prototype, and a further CHF 7,500 to compensate the research partners and project team members involved in the project. The Innovation Booster grant of 28,000 CHF will be used to cover the operations necessary to move from the initial hypothesis to documented experimental results. Distribution of the grant : Procurement and characterization of raw materials 3,500 CHF Biomass preparation and processing tests 6,000 CHF Prototype manufacturing 7,000 CHF Analyses and performance tests 4,000 CHF Technical, Economic, and Environmental Assessment 3,500 CHF Coordination, documentation, and final report 4,000 CHF Total 28,000 CHF This preliminary budget will be refined based on cost estimates and discussions with technical partners. It prioritizes experimental services and accessible equipment over the premature acquisition of production infrastructure. In case we get the grant, we will clearly try to spend most of the funds on prototyping a product. The Innovation Booster Fashion & Lifestyle can greatly support us by providing coaching and by sharing knowledge and professional networks.

Project Idea Metadata

• Project Idea Name: Climate-smart local sorghum: the next frontier in biodegradable Fashion
• Date: 5/29/2026 4:53:12 AM
• Administrators:
  • Bruno Graf

Project Idea Description

What if a plant grown in Switzerland could become the raw material for a fully biodegradable new textile used in the Fashion industry?

Our project explores this possibility by studying the potential of Swiss sorghum as a resource for developing this type of materials.

This project lies at the intersection of three fields: local agricultural resources, biomass processing technologies, and the development of new materials.

Its ambition is not simply to find an additional use for sorghum, but to determine whether this plant can open up new possibilities for clothing design. This involves studying how its fibers and plant fractions can be prepared, processed, combined, and shaped to achieve properties suited to specific applications.

Scientific studies have already explored the extraction of cellulosic fibers from sorghum and their use as reinforcing agents in composites. Our project aims to expand on this research through an experimental approach focused on sorghum grown in Switzerland, by comparing scientific possibilities with real-world processing constraints.

Our project is studying an agricultural resource that has yet to be fully explored in the targeted textile applications. It will seek to identify the fractions of Swiss sorghum that exhibit characteristics of interest for the production of fibers, or Polylactic Acid (PLA) biocomposites.

The challenge is to determine whether the properties of this biomass make it possible to consider uses that have not yet been established in the Swiss context.

These experiments will help us understand how the material behaves, what properties can be achieved, and what applications might be feasible. The goal is not to predefine a product, but to let the experimental results guide the design of the first applications.

If the results are favorable, the sorghum project could serve as the starting point for a new approach to the development of bio-based materials in Switzerland.

The possible creation of an industry cluster will be considered only after the necessary technical, economic, and environmental conditions have been validated.

A chain of clothing stores will then be flourishing across Switzerland in a few years. Featuring a new range of clothing created entirely from organic plant-based textiles made from local sorghum in Switzerland.

Finally, our project includes a large-scale recycling initiative to transform these fully biodegradable clothes into humus for soil regeneration through industrial, municipal, and institutional aerobic composting.

Problems to get solved:

1 The textile industry has significant impact on the environment:

There is a significant pesticide pollution emerging in water and soil linked to cotton cultivation. As well as chemicals and microplastics (microfibers and PFAS) released into water during textile finishing and every wash of synthetic fabrics. There is globally high water requirements for the cotton cultivation, (depletion of water resources and water pollution) In addition, the carbon footprint of polyester and animal textile products (leather, sheep wool) is harmful.

- Requires high water resources for farming, processing

- Processing generates significant pollutions

- Generates soil, water and air pollutions

- High use of pesticides and fertilizers in conventional farming

- Fast fashion industry generates negative side streams; this leads to ecosphere pollutions, high carbon footprint and health issues.

2 There is no local plant-based climate smart textile industry in Switzerland

- High production costs

- Lack of knowledge

- Climate-smart cultivation is not established yet

- Lack of awareness

- Local cultivation of most tropical textile crops is currently not possible (cotton, kapok, vegetable ivory, jute, ramie, raffia…); because the Swiss climate conditions are clearly not matching, and because of high water requirements, this leads to the outsourcing of crop production.

Our solution:

Creation of an alternative and innovative fully biodegradable textile from sorghum.

Our solution shows self-sufficiency in terms of climate smart textiles production when projecting into a post-oil era context

Our solution does not aim to recycle already produced textiles (cotton, polyester, etc.) into second-hand garments and repurpose them.

Instead, it aims to focus on an innovative, multi-purpose crop (food, textiles, etc.) that do not requires an excessive footprint in terms of production land and at the same time to add value to by-products from agriculture.

Our holistic approach would therefore allow us not to recycle textiles into end-of-life garments, but to recycle them through professional aerobic composting and the formation of humus for the soil regeneration (fully compostable clothing).

Textile production could shift away from resource-intensive monoculture by using regional crop residues and preventing massive textile waste accumulation in the Global South.

By delivering validated prototypes of sorghum-based fibrous materials and PLA biocomposites, our solution will show a novel pathway for converting climate-smart agricultural resources into high-value biodegradable fashion materials. The expected outcome is the creation of sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based textiles, contributing to reduced environmental impact.

Needs of Fashion & Lifestyle industry:

In 2018 the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) as well as the associations Swiss Textiles and amfori initiated the initiative Sustainable Textiles Switzerland 2030. This simply shows us the needs and demand for the establishment of such an innovative sector.

Our idea is radical and innovative because it proposes cultivating the innovative sorghum crop for textile purposes, in order to create textile materials entirely produced here in Switzerland.

The search for renewable raw materials and solutions for biomass utilization is an increasingly important issue for the textile, design, and materials industries. Flax and hemp already demonstrate the potential of certain agricultural crops for the production of fibers and technical materials.

However, developing a local supply chain requires agronomic expertise, appropriate processing methods, market opportunities, and a coherent economic framework. Sorghum offers a complementary avenue worth exploring. This plant is known for its relative drought tolerance and, in addition to its grain, produces plant biomass consisting of stems and leaves. These components contain lignocellulosic materials that could be studied for various material applications.

Our project does not assume that sorghum can directly replace flax or hemp. It seeks to determine what properties the material available in Switzerland actually possesses and what uses might be compatible with its characteristics. The opportunity lies in this still-open question: Can a Swiss agricultural resource be transformed into a material with sufficient technical interest and added value to support a new local industry?

Customers:

Initially a high-end niche market, high fashion, could then be applied to a larger mass of consumers, particularly in the event of a major energy and hydroclimatic crisis.

Vegan customers, eco-aware customers.

Benefits:

Improved health, environment and self-sufficiency

Sustainable development:

Our idea contributes to a more sustainable and healthy climate-resilient society, from textile production all the way to clothing and soil regeneration. The fact that a material is plant-based is not enough to demonstrate its environmental benefits.

Our project will therefore include an initial assessment of resource consumption, processes, sustainability, and end-of-life options. This approach will help distinguish a material that is simply bio-based from a solution whose environmental benefits can be demonstrated.

Idea workplan:

A central objective of our project is the development, optimization, and validation of innovative biodegradable materials derived from locally grown sorghum. Building on the crop's climate resilience and abundant lignocellulosic biomass, the project will establish a proof of concept for transforming sorghum residues into sustainable textile and biocomposite materials for fashion applications.

This project will support the production of a series of functional prototypes through the extraction and processing of sorghum fibers and their integration with bio-based polymers such as PLA. These prototypes will be designed to show the technical feasibility, environmental benefits, and commercial potential of sorghum-derived materials as alternatives to conventional synthetic textiles.

Specifically, the project will:

Develop environmentally sustainable methods for the extraction and treatment of sorghum fibers from locally available agricultural residues.

• Produce and characterize sorghum-based fibrous materials suitable for textile and fashion applications.

• Formulate and manufacture biodegradable PLA-sorghum composites with enhanced mechanical and functional properties.

• Fabricate prototype products, including biocomposite sheets, fashion accessories, and material samples for design applications.

• Assess key performance indicators such as strength, flexibility, durability, biodegradability, and user suitability.

• Evaluate the scalability and economic viability of the proposed production processes to support future industrial adoption.

Period Activities

Months 1–3 Procurement, characterization, and test definition

Months 4–6 Biomass preparation and process comparison

Months 7–9 Prototype fabrication and technical testing

Months 10–12 Economic evaluation, summary, and recommendations

Risks:

At the crops production level:

•Little knowledge about sorghum cultivation for textile production under Swiss growing conditions (yield & quality)

•Lack of adapted equipment for harvesting and processing

•Investment in production machinery may be too high

At the crops processing level:

•Processing expertise and facilities are not available in Switzerland

•Quality profile of this new textile may not be adapted to local preferences

•Fashion industry may not be ready to invest in new textile source

•Customers may not be willing to pay more for a local and sustainable eco textile

Resources:

Our current estimate of required resources and work packages depends on the exploration phase and the transformation solutions and partners we may identify.

Based on our modest experience in Switzerland, we estimate that approximately CHF 20,500 would be needed to create a promising prototype, and a further CHF 7,500 to compensate the research partners and project team members involved in the project.

The Innovation Booster grant of 28,000 CHF will be used to cover the operations necessary to move from the initial hypothesis to documented experimental results.

Distribution of the grant :

Procurement and characterization of raw materials 3,500 CHF

Biomass preparation and processing tests 6,000 CHF

Prototype manufacturing 7,000 CHF

Analyses and performance tests 4,000 CHF

Technical, Economic, and Environmental Assessment 3,500 CHF

Coordination, documentation, and final report 4,000 CHF

Total 28,000 CHF

This preliminary budget will be refined based on cost estimates and discussions with technical partners. It prioritizes experimental services and accessible equipment over the premature acquisition of production infrastructure.

In case we get the grant, we will clearly try to spend most of the funds on prototyping a product.

The Innovation Booster Fashion & Lifestyle can greatly support us by providing coaching and by sharing knowledge and professional networks.

Exploring a new generation of textile and bio-based material through the innovative superpower crop sorghum with its strong agronomic resilience regarding the climate crisis, unlocking its potential for the textile industry. Its versatile uses (food, energy, textiles, dyeing...) would contribute to the advancement of an eco-responsible society while addressing current resilience challenges in both the agro-food and textile sectors.

Our challenge is to create an innovative fully biodegradable textile from sorghum.

A chain of clothing stores will be flourishing across Switzerland in a few years. Featuring a new range of clothing created entirely from organic plant-based textiles made from local sorghum in Switzerland.

Finally, our project includes a large-scale recycling initiative to transform these fully biodegradable clothes into humus for soil regeneration through industrial, municipal, and institutional aerobic composting.