Search Results (78)

Bioeconomy is an important concept of economic development, supported at the highest political levels. However, its successful implementation calls for action within local markets. This study, therefore, examined the market readiness to engage in bioeconomy growth and emerging value chains in Italy, Slovenia, Germany, Poland, Slovakia, and Austria. The objectives were to assess the market readiness for placing novel bioproducts based on by-products and waste from primary production and agri-food processing sectors, and to evaluate the economics of their production. Specific goals were to estimate the availability of by-products and waste used for making new products, evaluate the main directions and trends in the use of by-products and waste, analyse the main barriers and restrictions to by-product and waste supplies to new enterprises and innovative applications, and make an economic assessment of the market entry of innovative products and their development. The study showed that the oil industry, with a high residue potential, was most often chosen to market new products. Other sectors where value chains can be created or modified are the fruit, winery, grain and milling, wood, hemp, and vegetable industries. PESTEL analysis demonstrated that economic factors, at both national and global levels, are the most common barriers to supplying by-products and waste to new business entities. Technological factors also significantly impede the delivery of by-products and waste to such new enterprises and their processing into novel products. In contrast, social conditions are the main factors stimulating supply of by-products and waste to such new plants. The results provide a preliminary insight into the Central European market and its enormous development potential, which is already implicated in the context of growing bioeconomy. Full article

Eucalypt plantations have expanded across tropical, subtropical, and temperate regions and now play an important role in the global supply of wood and renewable biomass, while remaining at the center of debates on water use, biodiversity, and socio-economic trade-offs. This review examines whether these plantations can deliver ecological, social, and technological benefits under appropriate management. This review synthesizes evidence from nearly 200 peer-reviewed papers, technical reports, and books covering environmental services, livelihood outcomes, and emerging bio-based applications of Eucalyptus species. The literature shows that well-planned plantations can deliver clear benefits. High biomass production supports carbon sequestration, while improvements in soil structure, nutrient cycling, and the recovery of degraded lands are frequently reported. Effects on water, often described in general terms as negative, vary widely with climate, soils, stand age, and previous land use, and are documented to play roles in biodrainage, salinity control, erosion reduction, and local microclimate regulation under suitable conditions. From a socio-economic perspective, Eucalyptus, a widely planted species, supports rural development by generating income, strengthening value chains for wood products and bioenergy, and offering smallholders a fast-growing resource. Technological work on materials and bioproducts, including nanocellulose, essential-oil formulations, biochar-based applications, and wood vinegar, further illustrates this versatility. Overall, while outcomes remain site-specific and dependent on governance, the evidence indicates that, under science-based management and careful landscape planning, eucalypt plantations can contribute to climate mitigation, rural livelihoods, and the circular bioeconomy. Full article

Bioenergy production from agro-industrial waste has the potential to contribute to climate change mitigation. In Brazil, the pequi (Caryocar brasiliense Camb.) production chain makes an economic, environmental, and social contribution. However, the collection and processing of the fruit produce large amounts of waste, such as the peel, whose improper disposal leads to significant environmental impacts. This study evaluated how moisture and carbonization temperature influence the energy properties of charcoal briquettes made from pequi peel waste. Carbonization was performed at two final temperatures (360 °C/480 °C) with a heating rate of 1.5 °C min⁻¹ and residence times of 4 h and 5 h 20 min, respectively. Carbonization yields were calculated based on dry mass. Briquettes were produced from pequi peel at moisture contents of 5%, 7.5%, and 10% (wet basis). After carbonization, the charcoal briquette samples were characterized by proximate analysis, higher heating value (HHV), bulk density, energy density, and mechanical durability. Carbonization temperature exerted a more pronounced effect on the properties of the carbonized briquettes than the initial moisture content. Carbonization at 480 °C increased the fixed carbon content (76.38%, 74.25%, and 75.10% for treatments 1, 2, and 3) and the HHV (25.10–25.31 MJ kg⁻¹), while reducing the gravimetric yield (32.84–33.25%). The influence of moisture content was more evident in carbonizations carried out at 360 °C, indicating a temperature-dependent interaction. The use of pequi peel for solid biofuel production promotes the valorization of agro-industrial residues and supports strategies aimed at the circular bioeconomy and the decarbonization of the energy matrix. Full article

The growing demand for sustainable energy sources has intensified research on the valorization of biomass residues as feedstocks for energy production. This scoping review provides a comprehensive analysis of recent technological approaches for converting coconut and açaí residues into energy carriers and bioenergy products. A systematic review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. In addition to synthesizing the existing literature, this study evaluates the technology readiness level (TRL) of the reported conversion pathways based on the experimental evidence provided in the reviewed studies. The literature search was conducted using Scopus, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect, focusing on peer-reviewed publications between 2015 and 2025 that reported experimental or pilot-scale research on thermochemical, chemical, and physical conversion processes for coconut and açaí residues. The TRL assessment indicates that most technologies remain at laboratory validation stages, with only a limited number reaching pilot or prototype demonstration levels. Nevertheless, several pathways—particularly thermochemical and densification processes—show promising potential for decentralized bioenergy applications. These findings are especially relevant for regions where coconut and açaí value chains generate significant volumes of agricultural residues. Their valorization could support decentralized energy systems, improve residue management, and contribute to sustainable bioeconomy strategies. Overall, this review identifies the main technological advances, limitations, and research gaps associated with the energy conversion of coconut and açaí residues, providing insights for future technological development and deployment. Full article

Bioeconomy policy requires timely, economy-wide evidence; however, two persistent measurement constraints remain: official input–output (IO) tables are published with time lags, novel start-up and novel prospective or hybrid bio-based activities are rarely identified as separate sectors in national accounts. This study develops an applied framework that combines IO nowcasting with an accounting-consistent sector-embedding procedure under limited data availability. Using Ireland’s national IO system and an existing bioeconomy IO framework as the accounting backbone, we update the 2015 table to 2022 through calibration to macroeconomic control totals, providing a timely structural baseline. We then introduce a transparent method for constructing new bioeconomy sectors based on dominant input shares, import intensity, and output allocation, while preserving national accounting identities. The approach is demonstrated for aquaculture systems, anaerobic digestion scenarios, and plant-based protein value chains. Demand-driven Leontief multipliers reveal heterogeneity in domestic propagation effects across activities and development stages. The framework offers a resource-efficient and replicable tool for evaluating bioeconomy strategies under real-world data constraints. The paper finds that the bioeconomy is structurally heterogeneous rather than a single uniform sector. Aquaculture is strongly transport- and service-linked, anaerobic digestion is more manufacturing-oriented, and plant-based protein production combines agricultural and industrial inputs while showing relatively high import dependence. Full article

This review systematically summarizes the history of and recent progress in mulberry research, with particular emphasis on advances in mulberry genomics and its role in modern breeding and the circular bioeconomy. Studies on whole-genome sequencing, high-density genetic mapping, and comparative genomics are reviewed. In addition, strategies for identifying functional genes associated with stress resistance, quality traits, and metabolic pathways are summarized. Building on these advances, the applications of genome editing, marker-assisted selection, and multi-omics-integrated breeding for improving stress resistance in mulberry are discussed. Current evidence indicates that developments in genomics have significantly shortened the mulberry breeding cycle, improved selection precision, and enhanced breeding efficiency while also providing molecular support for the development of a mulberry-based circular bioeconomy chain. In recent years, substantial progress has been achieved in mulberry genomics research. However, as an allopolyploid plant, the complexity of the mulberry genome continues to pose challenges for in-depth genomic analysis. Current limitations include incomplete reference genomes, insufficient functional annotation, and complex genetic backgrounds that hinder further genomic dissection. To address these challenges, strategies such as multi-omics integration, optimization of emerging genome-editing technologies, and diversified application models are proposed. These approaches aim to promote high-quality precision breeding and strengthen the integration of mulberry improvement with the circular bioeconomy, thereby maximizing the utilization and application value of mulberry resources. Full article

The dominant agri-food system’s well-documented failures—biodiversity loss, deepening rural inequalities, and the erosion of small-scale farming livelihoods—have elevated SSE initiatives and social innovation in the agri-food sector and bioeconomy from a niche policy concern to a structural priority. This paper examines how SSE arrangements drive meaningful transformation in agri-food chains while advancing sustainable development at local and regional scales. Through a narrative review of interdisciplinary peer-reviewed literature and key institutional sources, the paper synthesizes evidence that SSE initiatives generate transformation through three interconnected mechanisms: (a) the reconfiguration of governance structures; (b) the deepening of producer–consumer relationships through spatial proximity and relational transparency; and (c) the more equitable redistribution of value across agri-food territories. These findings suggest that place-based SSE models occupy a central—rather than peripheral—role in sustainability transitions and local development. The paper presents a structured analytical framework linking SSE practices to agri-food chain transformation and develops nine concrete policy implications for scaling and sustaining SSE innovations through coordinated collaboration among public, private, and social economy stakeholders. The findings contribute to a sharper understanding of the conditions under which SSE-driven models can foster sustainable, socially inclusive, and community-oriented agri-food systems and of why the solidarity dimension, rather than organisational form alone, is the decisive criterion for identifying genuinely transformative initiatives. Full article

Achieving more sustainable production in emerging biomanufacturing sectors depends not only on technological innovation but also on how production systems are organized, governed, and scaled. Fermentation-derived proteins produced through biomass and precision fermentation offer promising pathways to reduce the environmental impacts of conventional livestock production. However, their sustainability and circularity outcomes depend heavily on access to biomanufacturing infrastructure and coordination along global value chains. Drawing on Global Value Chain (GVC) theory and an integrative review of more than 40 academic and industry sources published between 2017 and 2026, spanning global value chain governance, biomanufacturing scale-up, CDMO functions, and sustainability and bioeconomy transitions, this study develops a conceptual framework that positions Contract Development and Manufacturing Organizations (CDMOs) as key infrastructural intermediaries in fermentation-based protein systems. CDMOs facilitate access to fermentation capacity, technical expertise, and regulatory capabilities, thereby shaping governance arrangements, capability development, and the scaling of innovation. In doing so, they influence how cleaner production principles, such as resource efficiency, circular feedstock integration, and improved environmental performance, are translated into industrial practice. The analysis also highlights risks linked to CDMO-driven scaling, including infrastructure concentration, dependency dynamics, and unequal access across regions. By integrating GVC perspectives with insights from sustainability transitions and the circular bioeconomy, the article advances understanding of how infrastructural intermediaries shape cleaner production outcomes in emerging biomanufacturing value chains. Full article

Brosimum alicastrum Swartz is a forest species with substantial potential for animal and human nutrition. However, its nutritional attributes and commercial applications are poorly disseminated and structurally underdeveloped. This study examines the relationship between scientific research and the commercialization of Brosimum alicastrum products in Mexico, integrating bibliometric analysis with a value network approach to identify market constraints and opportunities. Scientific publications indexed in Scopus from 1961 to 2024 were analyzed to characterize research trends, documented uses, and the geographic distribution of knowledge production. In parallel, companies commercializing Brosimum alicastrum-based products in Mexico were surveyed during 2024 using a value network approach (suppliers, customers, complementors, and competitors). A SWOT analysis was conducted to assess the structural strengths and vulnerabilities affecting market development. The results show that research in Mexico has primarily focused on the species’ properties as a functional food. At the same time, limited attention has been given to silviculture, commercialization strategies, and value-chain governance. Although Brosimum alicastrum products are currently positioned within premium market segments, business continuity is constrained by unstable supply systems that rely almost exclusively on seasonal wild collection from natural distribution areas. Both the value network and the SWOT analysis identified supply instability as the main factor limiting market expansion. Therefore, advancing research on the silviculture of Brosimum alicastrum is essential to support the establishment of managed production systems and commercial plantations capable of ensuring a stable, year-round supply of raw material. These developments would facilitate access to new market niches and enhance the biocultural and ethnobotanical value of Brosimum alicastrum as a functional and medicinal food resource within Mexico’s emerging bioeconomy. Full article

Efforts to build a sociobiodiversity-based bioeconomy increasingly depend on recognizing and rewarding the stewardship practices carried out by Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities, and smallholder farmers. Yet, such practices, rooted in collective governance, traditional knowledge, and care for ecosystems, remain largely invisible in market and policy frameworks. This study compares recognition mechanisms for stewardship practices worldwide (38 case studies) and in Brazilian projects supporting sociobiodiversity chains (384 projects) using an inductive typology of material and non-material recognition and Arnstein’s Ladder of Citizen Participation. Results show that 70% of cases combine multiple recognition forms, but their distribution and empowerment outcomes diverge. Globally, recognition mechanisms are more balanced, often codified in laws, participatory councils, and payment-for-ecosystem-service schemes that place communities on the upper rungs of Arnstein’s ladder, with co-management authority. In Brazilian projects, recognition remains predominantly material and focused on short-term interventions–capacity-building, equipment, and market access, corresponding to lower rungs of citizen participation. Overcoming this condition requires policies that couple economic incentives with institutionalized participation. Markets alone will not value the non-material elements that sustain sociobiodiversity. Implementing Brazil’s National Bioeconomy Strategy will therefore depend on public policies that reward both the products and the collective stewardship behind them. Full article

The kapok (Ceiba pentandra) fiber industry plays a vital role in Indonesia’s rural bioeconomy, particularly in regions with high production intensity such as Pasuruan Regency. Despite its economic potential and alignment with the green economy agenda, the industry faces increasing volatility due to seasonal harvest cycles, climate-induced disruptions, global demand fluctuations, and exchange rate instability. These conditions necessitate an adaptive and predictive approach to supply chain risk governance. We evaluated the performances of predictive analytics models, including linear regression, random forest, gradient boosting, XGBoost 3.2.0 libraries, K-nearest neighbors, and stacking regressor. Using multi-year monthly data on production volume, residual stock, and exchange rates, the stacking regressor was the most accurate model, achieving the lowest root mean square error and highest R² values. The results bridge the gap by applying predictive analytics to a resource-based, seasonal small industry sector. Practically, the results also enable leveraging AI in strengthening the long-term sustainability of agribusiness supply chains. Full article

European bioeconomy policies stress the need for responsible, efficient feedstock use and timely, comprehensive data on ecosystems and bioeconomic activities. This paper addresses the data gap by: (i) providing holistic county-level (sub-NUTS3) biomass maps for the Republic of Ireland (RoI), covering primary feedstocks (PFs) and secondary feedstocks (SFs, i.e., by-products and waste); (ii) identifying feedstock uses during the study period. In total, 221 feedstocks were mapped: 85 solid PFs (approx. 43 million tonnes dry matter (tDM) nationally) and 136 solid SFs (approx. 6 million tDM nationally), plus 6 liquid PFs (approx. 18 thousand million m³ nationally) and 8 liquid SFs (approx. 39 thousand million m³ nationally). The mapping indicates that environmentally sustainable bio-based value chains (BBVCs) requiring large amounts of solid or liquid SF should prioritise processing sites near major feedstock sources in the southeast and southwest of the RoI. The northwest and east coast have the lowest availability, while the west and midlands have the most variety in quantity and type of feedstock. Counties with abundant feedstocks do not necessarily have high feedstock diversity, except for Cork. Granular sub-NUTS3 mapping of quantities and fate provides a powerful foundation for future feedstock strategies and empowers stakeholders to design innovative BBVCs. Full article

Greece lies within the Mediterranean global biodiversity hotspot and harbors exceptional plant richness and endemism, including numerous medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs). These taxa underpin long ethnobotanical traditions and contemporary bioeconomy niches (culinary herbs, essential oils, phototherapeutics). The aim of this review is to map (i) the biodiversity knowledge base for Greek MAPs, (ii) recent ethnobotanical evidence, and (iii) sustainability pathways (conservation, cultivation, value chains, and regulation) in a Mediterranean context. The information is presented and analyzed in a critical manner. A total of 148 research studies were systematically reviewed based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Key findings highlight that (i) Greece is a regional plant-diversity hotspot with many MAP endemics in Lamiaceae; (ii) contemporary ethnobotanical knowledge persists and adapts; and (iii) strong sustainability levers exist through Natura 2000 coverage, Good Agricultural and Collection Practice (GACP) and European Medicines Agency (EMA) frameworks, and Protected Designation of Origin (PDO)/United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recognitions (e.g., Krokos Kozanis saffron, Chios mastic), although threats from climate and land-use change remain significant. In conclusion, Greek MAPs combine high biodiversity value, living ethnobotanical traditions, and tangible bioeconomic opportunities. Their sustainable prospects depend on integrating habitat protection, GACP and FairWild Standard (FairWild)-aligned wild collection and cultivation, domestication of priority endemics, and climate-resilience planning, all supported by traceable value chains and Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS)/Nagoya Protocol compliance. The review concludes with practical recommendations and a prioritized list of flagship taxa for “conservation through use.” Full article

This article presents the results of the Innovation Support Program (ISP), designed to enhance the market readiness of 12 bio-based innovators from six European rural regions: Northern Sweden, Mazovia (Poland), Upper Austria, Pays de la Loire (France), Strumica (Macedonia), and Andalusia (Spain). Over three years, the ISP applied a modular and flexible methodology, beginning with a cross-regional needs analysis to identify knowledge gaps, followed by a call for Expressions of Interest to select promising bio-based solutions, and concluding with tailored support delivered through regional Task Forces. These provided mentoring and capacity-building activities focusing on business modeling, market analysis, and funding opportunities. The program identified market access as a major barrier to scaling up and noted that many solutions followed Social and Solidarity Economy principles, prioritizing social and environmental impact over profit. Through targeted assistance and knowledge exchange, the ISP strengthened local innovation capacity and contributed measurable progress in companies’ Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). Positioned within the framework of the EU Bioeconomy Strategy, the ISP demonstrates how combining regional insights with a structured support framework can effectively accelerate the scaling of bio-based solutions, highlighting the need for iterative, long-term support to sustain regional bioeconomy growth. Full article

The generation of over 150 million tons of hemp waste annually is as much of a sustainability challenge as it is an opportunity for the circular bioeconomy. This review provides a critical analysis of the recent trends in the use of industrial hemp waste as a precursor to producing sustainable bioproducts. The objective is to synthesize the current state of knowledge and to identify the various pathways for valorizing hemp waste beyond the traditional applications. The methodology involved the systematic assessment of the recent literature to identify the applications in textiles, biocomposites, packaging, and, most importantly, advanced areas such as hemp-based carbon materials for storing energy, biomedical materials, and smart biomaterials. Findings showed that hemp waste is a versatile material for creating high-value products, as it shows promise in carbon electrodes for supercapacitors as well as reinforcement for 3D-printed biocomposites. However, there are some limitations in terms of standardization and scalability. The review concludes that future progress depends on multidisciplinary research to optimize conversion and utilization processes, including the development of comprehensive life-cycle assessments and reliable supply chains. Full article