India’s Agro-Lyocell Wins Global Change Award for Turning Agricultural Waste into Textile Fibres

H&M Foundation awards EUR 200,000 to support innovation using crop residue as an alternative raw material for textile fibre production

Agro-Lyocell, an Indian textile innovation initiative, has been named one of ten winners of the Global Change Award (GCA), initiated by H&M Foundation. The initiative converts agricultural waste into textile fibres, aiming to reduce reliance on wood-based raw materials while creating new opportunities for farmers.

The winners were recognised at Stockholm City Hall ahead of the return of the Nobel Prize banquet to the Blue Hall in December. Each winning team receives a EUR 200,000 grant to develop its early-stage innovation.

Agro-Lyocell Targets Agricultural Waste and Wood-Based Fibre Demand

Agro-Lyocell was selected from thousands of applications for its approach to sourcing raw materials for the textile industry. In India, around 90 million tonnes of crop residue are burned annually, while textile production continues to rely on wood-based fibres that place pressure on forests.

The initiative aims to address these challenges by converting underutilised agricultural materials, including linseed residue, into textile fibres.

“Every year, millions of tonnes of agricultural waste are burned while the industry cuts down trees for fibre. We’re connecting those two problems and turning waste into a resource”, says Shreyans Kokra, CEO Canvaloop.

Developing an Alternative to Wood-Pulp Lyocell

Agro-Lyocell focuses on the dense, woody fraction of crop residue that often remains unused. While natural fibres from agricultural residues can already be used in textiles, the initiative aims to convert the remaining woody material into a new textile fibre.

The resulting fibre is being developed as an alternative to conventional lyocell, which is made from wood pulp.

The team is currently at the process optimisation stage. It has established a laboratory-scale method for converting agricultural residues into dissolving-grade cellulose. Initial feasibility trials have validated multiple feedstocks, and the next stage involves progressing towards pilot fibre production.

Global Change Award Supports Early-Stage Textile Innovation

The Global Change Award was initiated by H&M Foundation to support early-stage innovations that can help the textile industry halve its greenhouse gas emissions every decade while promoting a just transition for people and the planet.

Since 2015, the initiative has supported 66 teams from 24 countries, providing a total of EUR 12 million in grants.

“Handing the Global Change Award to this year’s winners is a reminder of the courage it takes to pursue an idea before you know where it will lead. At this early stage they need room to test, learn and adapt. Our role as a philanthropy is to support that journey with funding and connections that can help the winners move their ideas forward,” says Karl-Johan Persson, Board Member at H&M Foundation.