Current Panorama, Practice Gaps, and Recommendations to Accelerate the Transition to a Circular Bioeconomy in Latin America and the Caribbean

Abstract

The rampant use of resources and the increasing risk of scarcity have been contributing to greater awareness regarding the need for maintaining resources in use for longer and the shift to renewable alternatives, in which perspective the concept of a circular bioeconomy (CBE) has been permeating the most diverse sectors. Therefore, the study’s aims were manifold: identify (i) existing practices and initiatives, (ii) barriers and potential opportunities and (iii) existing gaps for advancing a circular bioeconomy in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) and (iv) provide recommendations aiming at the development of a circular bioeconomy (CBE) in the region. To that end, a systematic review of the existing academic literature was done, and reports from relevant non-peer reviewed sources were also consulted. CBE practices in LAC are concentrated in only a few of the countries in the region and very much revolve around recovering value from by-products and waste streams. There are a range of economic, technological, environmental, and social barriers. Opportunities for a CBE are mainly related to the use of waste as raw material (found abundantly in the countries being investigated) and the use of new techniques/technologies. The gaps between the current state and a successful CBE are related to policy, scaling-up, collaborations, and establishing efficient business models. Recommendations for a successful CBE in the region include greater engagement of public actors, investing and developing the local economy, establishing biorefineries and industrial parks, and finding new technological routes for bioresources.