Publication: Global Bioeconomy Assessment

The Global Bioeconomy Assessment: Coordinated Efforts of Policy, Innovation, and Sustainability for a Greener Future published by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in 2024 provides an overview of global bioeconomy policies and emerging trends. It shows the timeline of bioeconomy policy development in different regions, including the USA, the EU, Finland, Germany and South Africa. 

Moreover, this report gives an overview on the conversion technologies and prospects of bio-based products, such as biomass energy products, bio-based platform chemicals, bio-based plastics, natural fibre for textile as well as pulp and paper products. It focuses on three main types of natural fibres – cotton, silk and hemp – as a reflection of the role of natural fibres in the bio-based circular economy.

In summary, the bioeconomy offers economic growth, social welfare and environmental benefits but poses risks regarding food security, public health, social justice, cultural diversity and biodiversity, the report states. These effects are often unevenly distributed, requiring policy trade-offs for environmental sustainability. The impact of bioeconomy policies on livelihoods is explained using the two examples of palm oil in Indonesia and soybeans in Brazil.

It is vital to systematically assess the impacts for sustainable land use while pursuing bioeconomy goals, the authors write. The bioeconomy significantly impacts global land use due to the rising demand for bio-based products and bioenergy. This demand leads to changes in land use, often involving the conversion of conventional agricultural land for bio-based feedstock production, potentially competing with food production and encroaching on natural ecosystems.

Expansion of the bioeconomy frequently results in deforestation and habitat loss, especially in regions with growing biobased industries. Forested areas are cleared to make room for bio-based feedstock cultivation, destroying critical habitats and biodiversity. Additionally, the bioeconomy’s significant demand for water resources, particularly in water-intensive crops like sugar cane, adds pressure to land use through the allocation of land for irrigation infrastructure. These impacts underscore the importance of adopting sustainable practices, robust regulatory frameworks and careful land-use planning in the bioeconomy.

(UNEP/ile)

Read more and download the report on the UNEP website