Bioeconomy: tapping natural and human resources to achieve sustainability

The report argues that the bioeconomy—the use of bio-based feedstocks and processes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions—requires context-specific sustainability monitoring across environmental, economic, social, and governance pillars. It highlights that while the bioeconomy can support UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), it risks deepening existing social inequalities if not managed through a lens of feminist political ecology and multidimensional poverty frameworks. The authors propose a monitoring system that integrates socio-economic indicators, such as the Human Development Index (HDI) and Gini Index, to ensure benefits reach vulnerable groups in the global South.

• The primary goal of the bioeconomy is to replace fossil fuel-based value chains with bio-based feedstocks and processes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, utilizing the 'cascading use principle' to maximize biomass value.
• Sustainability assessments of the bioeconomy must be context-contingent, accounting for regional characteristics and stakeholder involvement, as a single framework cannot fit all geographic or production contexts.
• There is a significant disparity between the global North and South regarding the bioeconomy, primarily due to the lack of infrastructure and logistics in the South, which hinders the production of high-value molecules.
• The transition to a bioeconomy does not automatically ensure social justice; without proper assessment, it may reinforce or deepen existing gender and social inequalities and poverty.
• The report identifies specific synergies and trade-offs between the bioeconomy and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), noting that SDG 12 (responsible consumption and production) and SDG 15 (life on land) often demonstrate trade-offs with other goals.
• To address social sustainability, the report suggests using feminist political ecology (FPE) to analyze power dynamics and the 'winners and losers' of the bioeconomy transition, focusing on who owns and controls resources.
• Current EU monitoring systems for the bioeconomy are criticized for being overly focused on the economic pillar, specifically turnover, value added, and job creation.
• The authors propose a comprehensive evaluation system for the bioeconomy that includes indicators for regional economic development, job creation/wages, capacity building, value added by bio-based chains, GHG emission reductions, and improvements in the Human Development Index (HDI).

APA

Diaz-Chavez, R., Mortensen, S., & Wikman, A. (2019). Bioeconomy: tapping natural and human resources to achieve sustainability. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/sei-report-2020-bioeconomy-diaz-chavez.pdf

Chicago

Diaz-Chavez, Rocio, Sofie Mortensen, and Anna Wikman. Bioeconomy: tapping natural and human resources to achieve sustainability. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2019. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/sei-report-2020-bioeconomy-diaz-chavez.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Diaz-Chavez |first1=Rocio |last2=Mortensen |first2=Sofie |last3=Wikman |first3=Anna |title=Bioeconomy: tapping natural and human resources to achieve sustainability |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=December 2019 |url=https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/sei-report-2020-bioeconomy-diaz-chavez.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{diazchavez2019bioeconomy, author = {Diaz-Chavez, Rocio and Mortensen, Sofie and Wikman, Anna}, title = {{Bioeconomy: tapping natural and human resources to achieve sustainability}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2019}, month = dec, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/sei-report-2020-bioeconomy-diaz-chavez.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }