The global bio‐economy

Swinnen, Johan; Riera, Olivia

doi:10.1111/agec.12045

Cited by 18 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…The TM literature places significant emphasis on the role of 'guiding visions' in affecting change, where ideas about how things might develop or what we wish for the future could serve as drivers for the future [20,30,48]. According to Smith, Stirling and Berkhout [20] visions or expectations about future system innovations can have several important functions: (1) giving a realm of plausible alternatives; (2) showing the problems that need to be solved; (3) providing a stable frame for thinking in the same manner or monitoring progress; (4) binding certain types of actors into networks, and excluding others; (5) and becoming a symbol used for attracting resources outside the core of a regime. We argue for the need for TM to include visions and expectations to a greater extent, reaching out to a broader set of stakeholders, before entering the smaller transition arena.…”

Section: Expectations Driving Transitionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Visions and Expectations for the Norwegian Bioeconomy

Hansen

Bjørkhaug

2017

Sustainability

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Developing a future bioeconomy has become critical for three main reasons: (1) The need for sustainability of resource use; (2) The growing demand for both food and energy; and (3) The need to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation. As Zilberman observes, a transition to bioeconomy "is a continuing evolutionary process of transition from systems of mining non-renewable resources to farming renewable ones". Hence, to meet the challenges created by a growing dependence on non-renewable resources, radical changes are needed that involve more than development of or changes within the individual bio-based sectors. In line with emerging attention to the bioeconomy in Europe and elsewhere, great expectations towards the bioeconomy have been launched in high level industry and policy fora, as well as in resource-based economies such as Norway's. Grounded in theories of transition and transition management, this paper discusses the Norwegian biosector's expectations regarding a bioeconomy. Analyses are based on empirical survey data from biosector representatives. Findings suggest that there are clear differences between sectors in motivation for a future bioeconomy. A transition into a complete bioeconomy will demand a system shift and more cross-sectoral integration between these regimes than currently exists.

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Section: Expectations Driving Transitionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One solution developing over the last decade has been a suggestion of a paradigm shift towards a "globally integrated" bioeconomy [2], as a solution to particularly sustainable resource use, an increasing demand for food and energy, and the need to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation [3].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Visions and Expectations for the Norwegian Bioeconomy

Hansen

Bjørkhaug

2017

Sustainability

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“…Starting points are the mergers between international biotech, chemical, pharmaceutical and agribusiness companies [3], tremendous advances in biological sciences [4], especially in genetics and molecular technologies, and the increasing biomass demand for non-food applications in energy and chemistry markets [5]. Not the limits of growth, but new growth possibilities are now in the focus.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bioeconomy Strategies: Contexts, Visions, Guiding Implementation Principles and Resulting Debates

Meyer

2017

Sustainability

155

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Over the last decade, bioeconomy policies, guided by integrated bioeconomy strategies, have developed. This paper presents a systematic and comparative analysis of official bioeconomy strategies of the EU, Germany, OECD, Sweden and the USA with regard to their context, visions and guiding implementation principles. In an additional step, the relationship between these strategies and important scientific and societal debates around bioeconomy is assessed. In conclusion, five major stumbling blocks for the further development of the bioeconomy are worked out. First, there is the risk of disappointment because far-reaching promises of the strategies are difficult to achieve. Second, the bioeconomy is not the only way to a low carbon economy so alternatives could impede the desired development. Third, persistent conflicts between the different uses of biomass for food, material and energy production could lead to unstable policy support with short-term shifts. Fourth, a broader success of new bioeconomy value chains could trigger new societal conflicts over bioeconomy if efficiency gains, cascading use, residue use and sustainability certification are not sufficient to ensure a sustainable supply of biomass. Fifth, the acceptance of bioeconomy could be compromised if bioeconomy policies continue to ignore the on-going societal debates on agriculture and food.

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“…There is an emerging recognition in bioeconomy literature around the potential to reconceptualise and repurpose bio-technologies/processes (which my be otherwise, just framed in the conversion/exploitation of biogenic resources and wastes [168][169][170]), in order to contribute toward resolving the ubiquitous challenges of excessive urbanisation, diminishing biodiversity, resource exploitation, post-fossil energy and chemical transition, and climate change and inequitable and unsustainable economic development [171][172][173][174]. For example, by cascading levels of extraction of, initially high-value-added chemicals and products, then bio-materials and finally 100% (aka zero waste [168,[175][176][177]) bioprocessing of residual biomass and further a CO 2 biosequestration, closed loop, zero emission bio-refinery [178][179][180].…”

Section: Zero Waste: Formation Convergence Circularity and Critiquementioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring the Phenomenon of Zero Waste and Future Cities

Hannon

Zaman

2018

Urban Science

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Abstract:The evolving phenomenon of zero waste encompasses the theory, practice, and learning of individuals, families, businesses, communities, and government organisations, responding to perceptions of crisis and failure around conventional waste management. The diverse and growing body of international zero waste experience, can be portrayed as both, an entirely new and alternative waste management paradigm, and or, interpreted as overlapping, extending, and synergetic with a general evolution towards more sustainable waste/resource management practices. Combining the terms zero and waste provokes creative, intellectual, and pragmatic tensions, which provide a contemporary axis for necessary debate and innovation in this sphere of resource management. This commentary draws on an interdisciplinary perspective and utilises some elements of the critique of zero waste, as a lens to examine and better understand this heterogeneous global community of practice. In particular, how the concept and implementation of a zero waste goal can increase community engagement and be a catalyst for the design and management of a more circular urban metabolism and hence, more adaptive, resilient, and sustainable future (zero waste) cities.

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The global bio‐economy

Cited by 18 publications

References 3 publications

Visions and Expectations for the Norwegian Bioeconomy

Visions and Expectations for the Norwegian Bioeconomy

Bioeconomy Strategies: Contexts, Visions, Guiding Implementation Principles and Resulting Debates

Exploring the Phenomenon of Zero Waste and Future Cities

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