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Towards sustainable bioeconomy - Lessons learned from case studies

Year of publication 2019

Place of publication Rome, Italy ;

Pages 132 p.

Author Gomez San Juan, M., Bogdanski, A. & Dubois, O.

Publisher FAO ;

Product type Book (series)

ISBN 978-92-5-131424-1

Series title Environment and Natural Resources Management Working Paper

Series number 73

Edition 1

Synopsis (short abstract) In 2015, at the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture meeting in Berlin, 62 ministers of agriculture recommended that FAO coordinate international work on sustainable bioeconomy. The German Ministry for Food and Agriculture has provided support to FAO to assist countries in the development of sustainable bioeconomy strategies and programmes. Bioeconomy activities are not necessarily sustainable. The use of biological resources and the production of biomass for food, feed, fuel and bio-based products can have both positive and negative environmental and socioeconomic impacts. The debates and experience related to bioenergy attest to this. Of paramount concern is that the development of the bioeconomy does not undermine food security, especially in areas with high levels of malnutrition. This includes the impact of environmental microbial resources on the composition of the human microbiome, which plays a role in preventing or contributing to malnourishment, including obesity, and other non-communicable diseases. Moreover, the combination of bioeconomy and digitalization and often seen as major drivers of the transformation of productive sectors. Almost fifty countries have placed the promotion of the bioeconomy on their political agendas, including the creation of dedicated visions, strategies and action plans. In 2016, FAO published the study ‘How sustainability is addressed in official bioeconomy strategies at international, national and regional levels. An overview’. As a continuation of this sustainability overview, the present report reviews how sustainability is addressed in real case studies of bioeconomy implementation around the world and from a range of different sectors. The overall aim of the report is to use these case studies to expand the general understanding of sustainability in the context of the development of the bioeconomy. To this end, this report offers lessons learned from 26 case studies, based on a review of their objectives and how they relate to broader sustainability goals (Principles and criteria for sustainable bioeconomy and the Sustainability Development Goals). The lessons clearly show that sustainability is not something that happens automatically. This document provides policy makers and people working directly in bioeconomy initiatives with examples of the sustainability elements that need to be considered when implementing bioeconomy activities.

Language English

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