Bioeconomy moving forward step by step – A global journey

The concept of bioeconomy is increasingly gaining prominence as a potential pathway to reconcile conservation objectives with economic and social aspects. However, so far, dominant bioeconomy approaches have paid little attention to potential risks and negative impacts on biodiversity. This Perspective argues that it is crucial to integrate biodiversity into bioeconomy approaches. We argue that this can happen in two ways; by mainstreaming biodiversity into dominant bioeconomy approaches which have previously not considered biodiversity in much depth, and by giving the sustainable use of biodiversity a more central place in bioeconomy strategies. Generally, biodiversity can become a central aspect of bioeconomy strategies, but questions around distribution, equity, and accountability need to be carefully considered.

The purpose of the study is to determine the substantive features of the bioeconomy as an environment for implementing international economic cooperation in the context of the institutionalization of the green agenda. The bioeconomy paradigm rethinks the traditional economy based on fossil fuels and limited resources. With the emergence of new political and economic incentives, new enterprises in the bioeconomy sector began to actively form, which prompted many countries to develop specific programs, strategies and approaches to stimulate it. Institutionally, the concept of bioeconomy was first proposed in the form of the concept of a knowledge-based bioeconomy - as a vision for the development of the European bioeconomy by 2030. The aim of this concept was to combine economic competitiveness and environmental sustainability through the implementation of circular bioinnovations that take into account climate neutrality, environmental efficiency, safety and social acceptability within planetary boundaries. Subsequently, this approach was supported by international organizations, which also proposed official programs to promote the bioeconomy. There are different approaches to the bioeconomy in academia that consider resources, processes, and implications for economic and biophysical systems. One approach classifies the bioeconomy into the following categories: bioresources, which include products created from biomass; biotechnology, which concerns innovations in the life sciences; and bioecology, which is based on sustainable processes and sustainable products. Other classifications divide the bioeconomy into an ecological economy that is compatible with the limits of the biosphere, an economy based on science and industrial biotechnology, and a biomass-based economy. Additional approaches offer a vision of the bioeconomy through socio-technical regimes, including a biotechnological bioeconomy that focuses on health, food, and the industrialization of living systems, and a biomass-based bioeconomy that aims to replace oil with biomass. Since 2012, the European Union has been implementing a strategy that combines the economy with natural resources for sustainable growth. Since then, a number of countries around the world have actively promoted the development of bioeconomy activities at the national level. These include the Netherlands, Sweden, the United States, Malaysia, South Africa, Germany, Finland, France, as well as Brazil and China, which have implemented their national programs or included the bioeconomy in state planning. The acute problem remains the coordination of various bioeconomy participants with different interests and goals in implementing the strategy, which brings the problem of effective management to the forefront. Against this background, the development of the bioeconomy is stimulated by the increasingly active participation of interregional and international organizations, which will allow coordinating the desire of countries for regionalization and specialization to achieve the goals of bioeconomy strategies.

Perspectives on bioeconomy policies

This study aims to demonstrate the effectiveness of the Delphi SWOT tool in formulating a bio-economy strategy for an isolated region. The analysis will highlight the management and planning aspects that are essential for assessing the internal and external circumstances of the region. A total of 16 experts were selected to participate in the Delphi method, which was used to investigate the current state of the bio-economy in the agricultural sector of a small isolated region in Greece. Following the convergence of the experts’ opinions, a SWOT analysis and a set of policy recommendations for the formulation of a bioeconomy strategy were derived. The formulation of a bioeconomy strategy in an isolated region reveals a promising landscape full of opportunities, but also full of challenges. The region has a number of intrinsic advantages that can be used to advance the bioeconomy. The focus on an isolated region limits the applicability of the findings to other regions with different socio-economic contexts. In addition, the Delphi method relies on expert opinion, which is inherently subjective. The bioeconomy concept has the potential to address the challenges faced by a small, mountainous, rural region whose economy has historically been based on energy production from lignite. To facilitate a sustainable transition, it is essential to harness the region’s human capital, promote sustainable agricultural practices, develop innovative products and processes, and establish new value chains that can stimulate economic growth.

The bioeconomy is increasingly seen as a key national development strategy for sustainable economic growth, environmental restoration, and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Numerous countries have introduced strategies to outline their bioeconomy visions, aiming to transition from fossil fuel-dependent systems to bioeconomies that address pressing environmental and socio-economic challenges. Despite this potential, the bioeconomy is not inherently sustainable nor circular, and policymakers pursue bioeconomies to different extents, facing challenges in balancing synergies and trade-offs with the SDGs. This study examined bioeconomy strategies presented in 29 policy documents from 14 European countries and the European Union. Using text analyzing techniques, we evaluate the extent to which bioeconomy strategies determine the salience of sustainability. Our analysis shows that most bioeconomy strategies emphasize opportunities aligned with SDGs 6 and 12–15, focusing on environmental objectives within the planet pillar of the 2030 Agenda. However, these strategies often neglect the principles of “equitable” and “fair & inclusive” transition and fail to consider potential unintended consequences or trade-offs for sustainability. This disconnection is further reflected by a significant divide between evidence on bioeconomy–SDG interactions and the narratives presented in policy documents. The concepts of sustainability and circularity are theoretically integrated into bioeconomy strategies but often remain lethargic, focusing on narratives rather than evidence on existing trade-offs at the expense of human needs and ecosystems. To prevent the risk of unsustainable transitions, bioeconomy strategies should evolve toward systemic approaches that emphasize resilience, equity, and ecological regeneration. Future research should explore practical mechanisms for aligning bioeconomy development with global sustainability goals.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11625-025-01752-1.

This chapter discusses the role of energy production in the global capitalist economy and its relationship to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with particular focus on SDG 8 – ‘Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all’ – and SDG 12 – ‘Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns’. It achieves this by first introducing the Club of Rome report the Limits to Growth which utilised a system dynamics computer model to simulate the interactions of five global economic subsystems (population, food production, industrial production, pollution and consumption of nonrenewable natural resources) (Meadows, Meadows, Randers, & Behrens III, 1972), the results of which posed serious challenges for global sustainability, to better understand and contextualise unconventional (also referred to as ‘extreme’) and ‘renewable’ energy production as examples of the paradoxical nature of sustainable development in the global capitalist economy. Demonstrating that unconventional energy production methods are much less efficient, more carbon intensive, more environmentally destructive and just as unsustainable, and that renewable energy relies on the extraction of nonrenewable natural resources such as lithium that result in similar environmental and social issues, this chapter will interrogate this and ask the question – is the capitalist system in its current form capable of making ‘sustainable development something more than the oxymoron it appears?’.

Bioeconomy strategies have emerged as prominent tools for aligning economic development with environmental sustainability. In the Amazon, these strategies are often promoted as greener alternatives to deforestation-based growth. However, this paper argues that current Amazonian bioeconomy models risk reproducing historical patterns of extractivism under a sustainability discourse. We conceptualize this contradiction as green extractivism, meaning a mode of resource use where nominally sustainable practices preserve external control, reinforce value drain, and marginalize local innovation and governance. Drawing on structuralist development theory and political ecology, we position the Amazon bioeconomy within a landscape of competing paradigms: pro-growth technological innovation, market-based circularity, and critical ecological models. We introduce the concept of a developmental bioeconomy, grounded in structural transformation, strong sustainability, and territorial governance. Through an analysis of institutional patterns, value chains, and emerging financial mechanisms such as carbon markets, we identify three critical constraints in the current model: structural stagnation, green extractivism, and speculative financialization. These dynamics prevent the Amazon bioeconomy from generating inclusive prosperity or enabling regional autonomy. As an alternative, we propose a developmental strategy focused on local value capture, participatory institutions, and public-cooperative financing structures. This reorientation would transform biodiversity and ecological wealth into foundations for local-driven innovation and equity-driven development. Our findings highlight the need to rethink sustainability frameworks in peripheral regions and to realign conservation and climate finance with territorial justice. Received: 11 February 2025 | Revised: 19 November 2025 | Accepted: 17 December 2025 Conflicts of Interest The author declares that he has no conflicts of interest to this work. Data Availability Statement Data sharing is not applicable to this article as no new data were created or analyzed in this study. Author Contribution Statement Daniel Silva: Conceptualization, Methodology, Validation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Writing original draft, review & editing.

The concept of a sustainable bioeconomy is gaining traction on the international political agenda with governments around the world adopting bioeconomy strategies. Considering the growing need for bioeconomy policymaking expertise and knowledge, this paper provides a high-level quantitative overview of bioeconomy literature which relates to policy. Based on a bibliometric analysis, the findings suggest that the bioeconomy as a policy and research concept is relatively new but growing, with European countries (specifically in North and North-West Europe) taking charge. Topics of bioenergy and forestry are most prevalent, reflecting policy areas that can be said to pre-exist bioeconomy strategies. As a supplement to the high-level quantitative analysis, a content review of the most cited-papers found critical engagement and scepticism of some of the sustainability claims found in promissory bioeconomy policy discourse. This paper provides an overview of trends that will be useful for stakeholders building their knowledge on the topic of bioeconomy, policy and society. The framing and goals of the bioeconomy have been constantly evolving in EU policy discourse. This review establishes a baseline for future research to map chronological trends in bioeconomy literature which relates to policy.

Abstract: In Italy, the value of bioeconomy is 251 billion € and more than 1.7 million of workforce is employed in this sector. The forest-wood chain cover about 15% of total value of bioeconomy. The consultation draft of Italian Bioeconomy Strategy was presented on November 22, 2016. This document identifies three macro-sectors (agrifood, marine bioeconomy, forestry and biobased industry) with the respective objectives and priorities. In addition, some Italian regions are organizing to devise a regional strategy detailing the key points of the EU Bioeconomy Strategy and Italian Bioeconomy Strategy in accordance with local peculiarities. In order to develop a regional strategy for the forest sector it is important to investigate the social demands and needs involving the local stakeholders. The aim of the study is to investigate the stakeholders’ opinions of Calabria Region (Italy) about the priorities of forest-wood chain to include in the future regional bioeconomy strategy. The stakeholders’ opinions were collected through the face-to-face administration of a structured questionnaire to 99 local stakeholders. The respondents assessed the importance of a set of objectives aimed to enhance the forest-wood chain at local level (economic exploitation of wood products; diffusion of forest certification; orientation of production to market demand; coordination of forest-wood-energy chain’s actors; implementation of environmental and cultural forest values; improvement of the level of mechanization in wood processing; improvement of the efficiency of forestry workers). In addition, the respondents assessed the capacity of some specific activities to achieve the above mentioned objectives. The collected data were used to define two strategies aimed to enhance the forest-wood chain in Calabria Region. The results show that for the interviewed stakeholders the main three objectives are: the implementation of environmental and cultural forest values, the improvement of the efficiency of forestry workers, and the diffusion of forest certification. In addition, the stakeholders highlighted the importance of the activities of environmental education for the citizens and the professional training courses for the forest operators. Finally, the diffusion of forest certification is a key issue for the interviewed stakeholders. This issue can be achieved facilitating the access of the certified products to the market and creating a chain-of-custody system for the wood products.

Policymakers Take Notice of Bioeconomy's Potential

Bio-based Industries Joint Undertaking: The catalyst for sustainable bio-based economic growth in Europe

This study examines the sustainability and supply chain challenges within Africa's renewable energy sector, proposing solutions grounded in green supply chain management principles and Industry 4.0 technologies. Utilizing an interpretive research strategy, we collected qualitative data from mini-grid companies, regulatory authorities, and a global financial institution that funds renewable energy projects across the continent. Our findings reveal a range of supply chain issues related to importation processes, economic policies, regulatory frameworks, logistics, skills shortage, and corruption. Additionally, we identified sustainability challenges such as a lack of environmental awareness and inadequate end-of-life management practices. To address these issues, we propose green supply chain management practices like recycling, responsible sourcing, and carbon footprint assessment. We also advocate leveraging Industry 4.0 technologies—including the Internet of Things, blockchain, and big data analytics—for smart metering and energy management. This study offers vital insights into the supply chain and sustainability challenges within the renewable energy sector, presenting practical solutions through the integration of green supply chain management and industry 4.0 technologies. Also, by addressing barriers unique to a developing economy, the research provides insights into actionable strategies for policymakers and industry stakeholders to enhance efficiency, reduce environmental impact, and promote sustainable development. The study similarly underscores practical implications, calling for robust strategies to resolve supply chain and sustainability challenges, the enactment of policies favourable to the renewable energy sector, and enhanced collaboration among government departments and law enforcement agencies.

Bioeconomy policies aim at fostering economic growth while solving the sustainability challenges of the fossil-based economy. However, these policies do little to discuss the resilience challenges of bioeconomies and the bio-based production systems on which they rest. Specifically, the environmental stresses that are likely to threaten the delivery of the bioeconomy's desired functions are barely addressed. This paper aims to understand why the salience of environmental resilience challenges is low in bioeconomy strategies. We conduct an exploratory comparative analysis of the policy design processes of six countries - Malaysia, South Africa, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Italy and Germany - building on expert interviews and a conceptual approach that emphasizes the importance of the policy design space. Our findings suggest that key factors in explaining the low salience of environmental resilience challenges are the predominantly economic motivation among leading authorities and the under-representation of environmental actors across policy design spaces.

The implementation of the bioeconomy, i.e., the conversion of an economic system from fossil to biogenic, renewable resources, is seen as an important component of sustainable development by many bioeconomy strategies. What has hardly been taken into account and investigated are the spatial requirements for a sustainable transition to this new system. In order to clarify this, bioeconomy related strategies and policy papers were analyzed thematically. It was shown that spatially relevant issues are addressed to very different extents. Some strategies have a clear technological and economic orientation, while other documents point to the importance of the regional and local levels and the use of spatial planning measures to successfully and sustainably implement a bioeconomy. Overall, the picture emerged that many strategies are still a long way from mainstreaming Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as set out by the United Nations.

Green, circular, bio economy: A comparative analysis of sustainability avenues