This work evaluates the sustainability of small-scale biorefineries as a potential enterprise alternative to be introduced in rural areas based on experimental and simulation data. Four scenarios were evaluated: the first scenario involves the production of guacamole, the second involves the production of animal feed, and the third and fourth scenarios involve the extraction of bioactive compounds and the production of avocado oil or animal feed, respectively. In addition, all scenarios produce biogas and fertilizer. Each of the scenarios were evaluated considering the technical, economic, environmental, and social aspects. As a main result, the first scenario showed the lowest operating and investment costs, as well as the lowest economic profitability (profit margin 35%). On the other hand, the third and fourth scenarios present the highest investment and operating expenses (OpEx USD 6.2 million per year and CapEx USD 1.0 million), but their profit margins are in the 60–70% range. Furthermore, a life-cycle assessment (LCA) was carried out and allows inferring that the transformer link presents the highest environmental impact of the entire value chain and that the carbon footprint for all scenarios ranges between 1.01–2.41 kg $\mathrm{C}{\mathrm{O}}_2$ eq per kg avocado. Similarly, the social impact methodology shows that the proposed scenarios do not present any social risk. Thus, the biorefinery for animal feed, bioactive compounds, biogas, and fertilizer was selected as the best option to be implemented in Caldas.

Panela is the second most important rural agro-industry after coffee in Colombia. This agro-industry produces a large amount of bagasse from non-centrifugal sugar (B-NCSP) without valorization. B-NCSP is used in combustion boilers in panela production, causing greenhouse gas emissions and health problems. This research aims to compare the sustainability of two B-NCSP biorefineries considering the current residue use. The sustainability of the biorefinery scenarios was analyzed to promote rural economic development in Colombia. In both biorefinery scenarios, biogas was evaluated as an energy vector to meet the energy demand of panela production. Two biorefinery scenarios were considered: (i) saccharification, bioethanol, and biogas production and (ii) acid pretreatment, saccharification, xylitol, bioethanol, and biogas production. Experimental data of the pretreatment, saccharification, and anaerobic digestion stages were used as input information in simulations. Technical, economic, environmental, and social metrics were used to estimate a sustainability index. The experimental glucose yield in scenario 2 was 0.42 ± 0.03 (31.52 ± 2.36 g/L) g/g B-NCSP, 1.8 times greater than scenario 1. The biogas yield in scenario 2 was 504.23 ± 21.68 (71.16% CH4) L/kg B-NCSP, 3.3 times greater than scenario 1. Scenario 1 was unfeasible at different scales. Xylitol production helps to improve the economic feasibility in scenario 2 since the payback period was 15 years. This scenario can create 36 job positions with a wage 18% higher than the minimum wage in Colombia (highest sustainability index of 72.44%). Finally, biogas produced in scenario 2 supplies 62.76% of the energy demand needed in the panela production process, reducing the environmental impact.