Enabling a transformation to a bioeconomy in New Zealand

Abstract

The 2009 OECD call for a global transition towards a bioeconomy has resulted in a number of nations adopting national or regional strategies to develop their bioeconomies. New Zealand’s large biological resource base and a well-established cultural heritage in farm production, including a comparative advantage in livestock production, should make it well-positioned for bioeconomy-based wealth creation. However, ecological and societal limits require the current economic farming model to be re-evaluated. We develop a bioeconomy framework, and use it to analyse where New Zealand is currently positioned and what would be required for New Zealand to transform into a fully functioning bioeconomy. We identify several critical elements of a bioeconomy that are either not fully developed in New Zealand, or are clearly lacking, most notably finance and governance, and the need for public engagement in policy. In order for New Zealand to realise the potential opportunity the bioeconomy offers, we suggest a more integrated and cohesive primary sector model that goes beyond tweaking the existing (livestock and primary production based) regime towards supporting and developing new niche production sectors, based on a clear vision jointly conceived with wider society.