Envisioning just transformations in and beyond the EU bioeconomy: inspirations from decolonial environmental justice and degrowth

Abstract

The European Union (EU) is adhering to decarbonization of its economy to tackle what is narrowly framed as ‘environmental issues’ of our socioecological and civilizational crises—including, but not limited to, climate change and biodiversity loss. A shift to bio-based economy (bioeconomy) is an important component of this effort. This paper applies theoretical ideas from decolonial environmental justice and degrowth, placed in the wider context of transformations, to analyse the EU bioeconomy policy within the global context, and to draw lessons and recommendations for just transformations in the EU bioeconomy policy. I identify five dominant logics and approaches in the EU bioeconomy that act as barriers for just transformations and propose alternative ones that can support such transformations. Barriers and alternatives include (1) framing ‘nature’ as a resource and service provider for humans, who are seen as separate from nature, and the need to abandon human–nature duality; (2) dominance of economic green growth and technoscientific policy solutions, and the need to place planetary justice at the centre of tackling socioecological crises; (3) a limited approach to justice, and the need to act upon climate and epistemic justice, including self-determination and self-governing authority; (4) the EU’s ambition for global leadership and competitiveness in global bioeconomic markets and governance, and the need to redefine global governance towards partnerships based on the principles of solidarity, mutual respect, reconciliation and redistribution of power and wealth; (5) hegemonic politico-economic structures and actor coalitions in charge of the EU bioeconomy, and the need for decentralized bottom-up leadership coalitions that promote direct democracy, local autonomy and sovereignty beyond state. I conclude with reflections on the politics of change and risks of co-optation, with a hope to inspire decolonial and just socioecological transformations in and beyond bioeconomy.

The bioeconomy and its untenable growth promises: reality checks from research

“…Ollinaho and Kröger 2021; van der Ploeg 2021; Altieri and Nicholls 2020). More broadly, what deserves more serious attention within bioeconomy policy debates are the so-far scarcely discussed (Grunwald 2020;Hoehn et al 2021;Ramcilovic-Suominen 2022) implications of degrowth debates and the sophisticated critique of mainstream sustainability discourses that their proponents have developed in recent years (D'Alisa et al 2015;Hickel 2021;Kallis et al 2018). Their thorough revision of the core tenets that 'green growth' ideas rest on has begun gradually entering the bioeconomy debate not only through radically provocative work such as that of Mario Giampietro (2019), but also through sober accounts like the one by Bringezu et al (2020).…”

Global Inequalities in the Bioeconomy: Thinking Continuity and Change in View of the Global Soy Complex

“…169-170). Degrowth and decolonial environmental justice can be further guiding principles for a fundamental social-ecological transformation [74]. Especially in the Global North, a strategy of shrinkage and the reduction of raw material consumption is needed, in line with a perspective of sufficiency, resting on the insight that also bioeconomies need to acknowledge planetary boundaries in terms of land and energy.…”

Is the EU shirking responsibility for its deforestation footprint in tropical countries? Power, material, and epistemic inequalities in the EU’s global environmental governance

“…As research and investments in the bioeconomy take root, multiple crevices have emerged in the approach, with three being particularly dominant. First, some scholars argue that the bioeconomy is rooted in ecological modernization logic in ways that place humans above and beyond nature (Ramcilovic-Suominen 2022 ; Ramcilovic-Suominen and Pülzl 2018 ; Vivien et al 2019 ). The second, and related crevice, focuses on the neoliberal and profiting from nature mentality within which the bioeconomy has evolved (Kleinschmit et al 2017 ; Kröger and Raitio 2017 ).…”

“…46–48). An emerging body of knowledge on decoloniality and degrowth (“ Unequal relations and structures of oppression: past, present, and future ”) calls for different ways of living as opposed to peripheralization and the creation of dichotomous socio-natures that divide to conquer and extirpate some human and more-than-human entities and beings, knowledge systems and ways of life (Abazeri 2022 ; Ramcilovic-Suominen 2022 ).…”