Table Of ContentEconomics, Ecology, and Policy
for the Bioeconomy
This book demonstrates that a holistic approach to the bioeconomy is essential if it is
to achieve its full potential in driving economic growth while simultaneously providing
ecological, social, and technological benefits.
Definitions of the “bioeconomy” vary, but in general it incorporates the ways in which
societies manage and distribute their primary or secondary biological resources for further
use in everyday life (e.g., food, materials, and energy). The classical sectors related to the
bioeconomy have therefore been agriculture, forestry, and aquaculture, now extended
to include bioenergy, biofuels, biochemicals, and other processing and service industries.
There are also related new concepts such us the blue economy, the green economy, and
the circular economy. This book integrates these definitions, sectoral analyses, and new
concepts into a fully rounded study of the bioeconomy. It is argued that the key aims
in the coming years have to be the harmonisation of public policies between different
sectors, regulation of legislative framework for the bioeconomy, and clear communication
of these issues. In particular, the book argues that a strengthening of the monitoring and
evaluation of the impacts of the bioeconomy on society are an essential starting point.
For this to be effective, appropriate indicators need to be established and defined for the
monitoring of the effects of these resilient policies related to the bioeconomy and their
impact on local and regional development and quality of life.
This book is essential reading for anyone interested in the bioeconomy including
students and scholars of ecological economics, environmental economics, sustainability,
innovation, and regional development.
Sanja Tišma, Director of the Institute for Development and International Relations
(IRMO), Zagreb, Croatia.
Anamarija Farkaš, researcher at the Institute for Development and International
Relations (IRMO), Zagreb, Croatia.
Anamarija Pisarović, researcher at the Institute for Development and International
Relations (IRMO), Zagreb, Croatia.
Marina Funduk, researcher at the Institute for Development and International
Relations (IRMO), Zagreb, Croatia.
Iva Tolić, researcher at the Institute for Development and International Relations
(IRMO), Zagreb, Croatia.
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Economics, Ecology, and Policy for the Bioeconomy
A Holistic Approach
Sanja Tišma, Anamarija Farkaš, Anamarija Pisarović, Marina Funduk, and Iva Tolić
For more information about this series, please visit: www.routledge.com/series/RSEE
Economics, Ecology, and
Policy for the Bioeconomy
A Holistic Approach
Sanja Tišma, Anamarija Farkaš,
Anamarija Pisarović, Marina Funduk,
and Iva Tolić
First published 2023
by Routledge
4 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
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Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2023 Sanja Tišma, Anamarija Farkaš, Anamarija Pisarović, Marina
Funduk, and Iva Tolić
The right of Sanja Tišma, Anamarija Farkaš, Anamarija Pisarović, Marina
Funduk, and Iva Tolić to be identified as authors of this work has been
asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs
and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now
known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in
any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing
from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or
registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation
without intent to infringe.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
A catalog record for this book has been requested
ISBN: 978-1-032-12241-0 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-032-12242-7 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-003-22373-3 (ebk)
DOI: 10.4324/9781003223733
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Contents
List of Figures vii
List of Abbreviations viii
Introduction 1
SANJA TIŠMA
1 Concepts of bioeconomy 6
IVA TOLIĆ
What is the bioeconomy? 6
Emergence of the bioeconomy 7
Importance of bioeconomy for social development 8
Bioeconomy in relation to other sciences 12
Linear and circular bioeconomy 13
Bioeconomy sectors 15
Global trends in the field of bioeconomy, revenues/expenditures,
impact on GDP, impact on employment 18
Future trends 23
2 Bioeconomy policies across the globe 28
MARINA FUNDUK
Introduction 28
Core elements of bioeconomy policy strategies 31
Bioeconomy strategy goals 32
Prioritisation and specialisation in policy strategies 35
Policy measures in policy strategies 36
Emerging policy trends: stakeholder- and industry-driven
initiatives 39
Multilateral policy dialogue 40
vi Contents
Macro-regional actors and policy initiatives 41
Conclusions 42
3 Green and blue economy 47
ANAMARIJA PISAROVIĆ
Introduction 47
Forest-based bioeconomy 49
Agri-based bioeconomy 51
Blue bioeconomy 54
Conclusion 59
4 New emerging sectors 66
ANAMARIJA FARKAŠ
Introduction 66
The bioenergy sector 70
The bio-based chemistry sector 80
The biochemistry and biopharmaceutical sector 88
Conclusion 97
5 Holistic approach to bioeconomy monitoring and
evaluation 108
SANJA TIŠMA
Introduction 108
Indicators for monitoring the bioeconomy development 109
Models for monitoring and evaluating the bioeconomy 119
Conclusion – future trends 122
6 Conclusion 126
SANJA TIŠMA
Index 130
Figures
1.1 Employment in the bioeconomy by sectors of the EU-27
in 2017 19
1.2 Added value in the bioeconomy by sectors in the EU-27
in 2017 20
1.3 Direct and indirect employment in the US bioeconomy in
2013, 2014, and 2016 (millions) 21
1.4 Direct and indirect value added in the US bioeconomy in
2013, 2014, and 2016 (millions) 21
1.5 The Bioeconomy Contribution Index in Malaysia (2005–2015) 22
4.1 New emerging sectors that focus on the knowledge-based
bioeconomy and innovations 66
4.2 A vision of the bioeconomy with the focus on sustainability
according to bibliometric analysis in research science 67
4.3 Seven key factors enabling innovation in biotechnology 68
4.4 Liquid biofuels and technological procedures for their
production 72
4.5 Global afforestation and deforestation activities 1990–2020 74
4.6 Share of biofuel use in industry, transport, and household 75
4.7 Estimation of the biogas market size in the EU for the
period 2017–2028 77
4.8 Bio-based production in 2019 and the predicted bio-based
output in 2025 for designated product categories 81
4.9 CAGR for product categories I–X over the 2020–2025
forecast period in the EU 85
4.10 Projections of compound annual growth rates (CAGR)
for (a) the biochemistry analysers market, (b) the mass
spectrometry market, and (c) the biochemical reagents
market in the analysed periods 92
4.11 Projection of the global biopharmaceuticals market by type
of biopharmaceuticals for 2025 compared to 2017 93
4.12 Change in the total value of enterprises in each subsector of
the biopharmaceutical economy in 2020 (%) 96
5.1 Complex interrelationships of indicators for monitoring the
bioeconomy development 119
Abbreviations
CAGR – compound annual growth rate
EU – European Union
FAO – Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
GDP – gross domestic product
GHG – greenhouse gas
ILUC – indirect land-use change
JRC – Joint Research Centre
LCA – life-cycle assessment
LCSA – life-cycle sustainability assessment
MAGNET – Modular Applied GeNeral Equilibrium Tool
OECD – Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
R&D – research and development
RED – Renewable Energy Directive
RED II – revised Renewable Energy Directive 2018/2001/EU
SDG – Sustainable Development Goal
SME – small and medium-sized enterprises
UN – United Nations
1 Introduction
Sanja Tišma
Introduction
Sanja Tišma
Although there has been a range of research and strategic and planning policy
documents related to the bioeconomy, there is still no unique definition of
this important scientific and professional topic, nor is there an interdisciplinary,
holistic approach to its study. Generally, the bioeconomy is the economy that
analyses how societies manage and distribute their primary or secondary bio
logical resources for further use in everyday life, namely for food, materials, and
energy. The bioeconomy has also been defined as “the production, utilisation
and conservation of biological resources, including related knowledge, science,
technology, and innovation, to provide information, products, processes, and
services in all economic sectors aiming toward a sustainable economy” (Inter
national Advisory Council of the Global Bioeconomy Summit 2018 2018,
p. 4). Besides the classical sectors related to the bioeconomy such as agriculture,
forestry, and aquaculture, the approach has been extended to include mod
ern sectors such as bioenergy, biofuels, biochemicals, along with other process
ing and service industries (i.e., food, paper, textiles, building and construction,
chemistry, and biopharmacy). In addition, there are new concepts such as blue
economy, green economy, innovation and research, and circular economy.
These sectors and concepts have developed the most in recent years and have
been promoted by different sustainability strategies.
The importance of the policy context of the bioeconomy is visible in the
example of the European Union (EU). The highest productivity in the bioec
onomy in the EU is realised in the generation of bioenergy from biomass but
is mainly due to state aids for priority purchase of electricity from biomass. In
addition, liquid biofuel and agriculture sectors, and partially aquaculture activi
ties, receive significant state aid. However, such an approach is being abandoned
to achieve equal rights in biomass demand for all sectors of the bioeconomy.
This example shows that the critical challenge of the development of a bio
economy today is a classically linear, mono-sectoral approach, which disables a
holistic perception of a bioeconomy as a very integrated and cross-sectoral con
cept. Such a holistic approach to the bioeconomy is a key theme of this book.
Besides analysing the theoretical concept of bioeconomy, related disciplines,
and related policy instruments, this book provides a framework of the classical
DOI: 10.4324/9781003223733-1
