Research trends: Bioeconomy politics and governance

Abstract

Bioeconomy means a change in economic production that leads to a bio-based economy and a substitution of fossil resources with renewable raw materials throughout the whole value chain, in industrial and energy production. Especially in the forestry sector, bioeconomy is widely discussed, since forests as well as agricultural landscapes are a crucial natural resource for the availability of biomass that is necessary to change fossil-based to a more renewable economy. The aim of this research trends commentary paper is threefold: First, the paper aims at reviewing briefly the current scientific state of the art on bioeconomy. Second, the paper identifies four main research strands of social and political science-related bioeconomy research. Third, the paper identifies still existing research gaps, and describes very briefly how the authors' own research adresses those research gaps.