Unlocking Romania’s Forest-Based Bioeconomy Potential: Knowledge-Action-Gaps and the Way Forward

Abstract

As national governments continue developing bioeconomy strategies, the forest-based sector becomes increasingly important. Romania’s forest sector can be at the heart of a sustainable circular-bioeconomy transition. However, despite recently launching its national forest strategy, the country has yet to produce a comprehensive bioeconomy strategy where the forest sector is properly acknowledged and integrated. Here, we discuss the potential opportunities and challenges for developing a national circular–bioeconomy strategy that builds around the forest-based sector. Methodologically, we build on qualitative insights from two foresight workshops conducted with 16 international experts. Conceptually, we draw on recent forest-based circular-bioeconomy literature, which we synthesize and use to complement the insights provided by workshop participants. Three main key findings emerged from this analysis: (i) Several knowledge gaps related to biomass availability, carbon storage, biodiversity status, ecosystem services, or governance arrangements persist. (ii) A circular forest bioeconomy must focus on regional and rural development, including both traditional wood use, as well as new wood-based products. Finally, (iii) the transition to a forest-based bioeconomy requires substantial investments in areas such as forest infrastructure, education, and labor force. Forward-looking policies can address these challenges by fostering new ways of thinking, collaborating and researching the bioeconomy. We anticipate our article to be a starting point for more informed discussions around the role of forests and the forest-based sector in Romania’s future bioeconomy strategy. Furthermore, as work around the implementation of the national forest strategy has recently commenced, the ideas discussed here could help decision-makers better integrate and coordinate national and European forest policies with bioeconomy ambitions.

Key information for forest policy decision-making - Does current reporting on forests and forestry reflect forest discourses?

“…It regards the loss of biodiversity, climate change impacts on forest ecosystems, and the supply of benefits from forests to society. Forests are the most critical terrestrial biological element to sustain life on Earth and are, as such, key to a sustainable future anchored in a circular bioeconomy (Giurca et al 2022). Many ongoing policies have expressed the need for more detailed, up-to-date, and harmonised forest data and information for evidence-based policymaking to understand, quantify and qualify the contribution of forests to current and future challenges (Gluckman & Wilsdon 2016, Het-emäki 2019.…”

Expert-Based Assessment of the Potential of Agroforestry Systems in Plain Regions across Bihor County, Western Romania

“…In this context, in the last two decades, the areas afforested at national level decreased significantly [45]. But, by taking also into consideration the circular-bioeconomy transition which interferes with the forest sector [46], and the uneven distribution of forest lands across Romania, with the lowest presence in plain regions, of about 6.5% [47], we consider that agroforestry systems will play a significant role in rural development in several counties across Romania, especially in plain regions.…”