Bio-Innovation in the Food System

The document defines bio-innovation as the integration of biotechnology, economic models, and governance rules. It argues that the food system is under severe stress—contributing 20% to 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions and 70% of biodiversity loss—and requires a transformation. The paper highlights emerging technologies like CRISPR, synthetic biology, and microbiome studies as tools to improve climate resilience, reduce food waste, and protect biodiversity. However, it warns that falling costs and the proliferation of actors increase safety risks and regulatory challenges. The World Economic Forum calls for a 'conversation of conversations' to establish shared principles and a global coordination hub for bio-innovation governance.

• The global food system is under significant stress, contributing between 20% and 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions, 70% of freshwater withdrawals, and 70% of biodiversity loss.
• Bio-innovation is defined as a holistic interplay between three components: biotechnology (the tools), economic models (the interests), and governance models (the rules).
• Key enabling technologies with the potential to transform the food system include microbiome studies, advanced genomics, gene editing (specifically CRISPR-Cas9), and synthetic biology.
• Bio-innovation can support climate-smart agriculture through 'probiotics for plants' (microbial products) that can increase crop biomass and sequester more carbon from the air.
• Biotechnologies can mitigate food loss and waste by improving seed quality and plant nutrition to extend shelf life, or by converting waste into renewable energy sources like biofuels.
• The cost of genomic sequencing has dropped drastically, falling from $10 million to $1,000 or less over the last 10 years, contributing to a more distributed and open innovation model.
• The proliferation of 'do-it-yourself' biology and the blurring lines between gene editing and conventional breeding make it harder for regulators to detect and assess genetic interventions.
• There is a lack of global consensus on the regulation of gene-edited products; some countries treat them as GMOs (e.g., New Zealand, EU), while others use a case-by-case approach based on the presence of foreign DNA (e.g., Argentina, Israel).
• The document recommends the creation of a 'trusted broker' or global coordination hub to provide an overview of bio-innovation activities, ensure consistency among governance efforts, and build public trust.

APA

World Economic Forum (2018). Bio-Innovation in the Food System. http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Bio-Innovation_Dialogue_WP.pdf

Chicago

World Economic Forum. Bio-Innovation in the Food System. 2018. http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Bio-Innovation_Dialogue_WP.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Economic Forum |title=Bio-Innovation in the Food System |date=September 2018 |url=http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Bio-Innovation_Dialogue_WP.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldeconomicforum2018bioinnovation, author = {{World Economic Forum}}, title = {{Bio-Innovation in the Food System}}, institution = {World Economic Forum}, year = {2018}, month = sep, url = {http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Bio-Innovation_Dialogue_WP.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }