The evolution of bioeconomies will be central to building low-carbon, nature-positive productive landscapes. The use of bio-based products or biotechnologies can provide alternatives to carbon-intensive products in sectors such as construction, chemicals and consumer products.
But the environmental dynamics of the emerging bioeconomy are not yet well understood. Neither are the subsequent policy and investment interventions needed to steer innovation towards delivering environmental benefits.
This work will contribute to evidence-based policymaking through:
- Applying a systems approach to analyse scenarios of bioeconomy innovation land-footprint outcomes, feedbacks and interplay between three systems: energy, food and materials.
- Identifying the types of policy, investment and innovation interventions that deliver the best environmental and social outcomes at multiple scales across key geographies.
The project objectives are to:
- improve clarity on the feasibility of transition to global bio-based economy displacing fossil-fuel supply chains;
- inform policy and investment pathways that achieve socially and environmentally sound bioeconomies across key geographies; and
- create a pre-competitive environment for cross-sectoral and pan-supply chain collaboration.
A technical panel provides suggestions and inputs to the project. The current members are:
- Mario Herrero, Director of Food Systems and Global Change, Cornell University
- Jukka Kantola, Chair of Board, World BioEconomy Forum
- Daniel Mason-D’Croz, Senior Research Associate, Cornell University
- Michael Obersteiner, Director, Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford
- Roberta Roesler, Circularity and Regeneration, Director, Natura&Co
- Caroline Ray, Regional Director, East Africa, ARUP
- Roberto Waack, President of the Board, Arapyau Foundation
- Aidong Yang, Associate Professor of engineering Science, University of Oxford
This project is funded by Instituto Arapyau and Suzano.
