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A path transition towards a bioeconomy–the crucial role of sustainability
Open accessAbstract
The bioeconomy is a worldwide used strategy to cope with ecological, social, and economic sustainability challenges. However, we analyze current bioeconomy strategies and trends to point out potential sustainability conflicts and transition challenges. Our analysis shows that the bioeconomy is not sustainable per se, as mere input substitution may entail welfare losses. Instead, it requires further debates and actions to avoid exacerbation of ecological and social strains. Sustainability has to be the key concept behind the bioeconomy and predominantly requires (1) sustainability of the resource base and (2) sustainability of processes and products, especially by (3) circular processes of material fluxes, not least to gain consumer acceptance for bio-based products. Otherwise, the bioeconomy would only entail the substitution of fossil resources for bio-based resources potentially lacking the generation of additional societal and ecological benefits and contribution to climate mitigation. As markets alone will not suffice to fulfil this path transition towards a sustainable bioeconomy, we argue that innovative governance is necessary to reduce competitive drawbacks compared to fossil resources (enabling function) and to secure ecological, social, and economic sustainability requirements (limiting function).
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“Similarly, the bioeconomy enables the transition from fossil-based to biomass-based industrial inputs and emphasizes the sustainable use of renewable resources for economic, environmental, and social benefits (Pfau et al., 2014; D'Amato et al., 2018; Gawel et al., 2019).”
From Circular Bioeconomy Concepts—A Perspective (2021) · cites this paper as Gawel et al., 2019
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“Some definitions suggest that the bioeconomy is not intrinsically sustainable just because it is based on renewable resources (Pfau et al., 2014; Gawel et al., 2019).”
From Circular Bioeconomy Concepts—A Perspective (2021) · cites this paper as Gawel et al., 2019
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Advances in Biotechnology in the Circular Economy: A Path to the Sustainable Use of Resources
Marques, P. C., Fernandes, P. C. D. B., Sampaio, P., & Silva, J. (2025) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su17146391 · Cited by 17
Patel, N., Feofilovs, M., & Blumberga, D. (2022) · Journal of Agriculture and Food Research · doi:10.1016/j.jafr.2022.100367 · Cited by 11
Bioeconomy – present status and future needs of industrial value chains
Kircher, M. (2020) · New Biotechnology · doi:10.1016/j.nbt.2020.09.005 · Cited by 60
Pashakolaie, V. G., Gonella, S., & Muhit, I. B. (2025) · Bioresource Technology Reports · doi:10.1016/j.biteb.2025.102125 · Cited by 13
Silva, D. A., Vásquez-Ibarra, L., Farrapo, A. C., & Musule-Lagunes, R. (2024) · The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment · doi:10.1007/s11367-024-02333-7 · Cited by 10
“…the development of studies addressing the bioeconomy and its associated products has increased during the last years (Di Letizia et al. 2023; Gawel et al. 2019; Liobikiene et al. 2019; Wohlfahrt et al. 2019; Farrapo et al. Jr 2023), focusing mainly on the economic and environmental…”
Research approaches to sustainable forest-based value creation: A literature review
Rusanen, K., Hujala, T., & Pykäläinen, J. (2024) · Forest Policy and Economics · doi:10.1016/j.forpol.2024.103222 · Cited by 10
Slavec, A., Hoeben, A., Torres, M. M., Primožič, L., & Stern, T. (2023) · Forest Policy and Economics · doi:10.1016/j.forpol.2023.103074 · Cited by 10
Standardisation in the context of science and regulation: An analysis of the Bioeconomy
Gottinger, A., Ladu, L., & Blind, K. (2023) · Environmental Science & Policy · doi:10.1016/j.envsci.2023.06.013 · Cited by 10
Ardiyanto, S. Y., Saraswati, R., & Soponyono, E. (2022) · Environment and Ecology Research · doi:10.13189/eer.2022.100403 · Cited by 10
“In addition, forest destruction has resulted in floods, droughts and fires which disrupt the social and economic conduciveness of the affected areas [19, 20].”
BackgroundWen, L.-J., & Chatalova, L. (2021) · doi:10.3390/su13020733 · Cited by 10
“In the initiated transition to an innovation-driven and bio-based economy, particularly high expectations are attached to agriculture as a biomass supplier, one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas savings and job creation in rural areas [98,105,106].”
BackgroundBozzolan, N., Mohren, F., Grassi, G., Schelhaas, M., Staritsky, I., Stern, T., Peltoniemi, M., Šebeň, V., Hassegawa, M., Verkerk, P. J., et al. (2024) · Forest Policy and Economics · doi:10.1016/j.forpol.2024.103358 · Cited by 9
Siegfried, K., Blümel, L., Riedel, F., Moosmann, D., Cyffka, K.-F., Richters, M., Reumerman, P., Vos, J. G. M., Matisons, M., & Thrän, D. (2023) · Energy, Sustainability and Society · doi:10.1186/s13705-023-00416-1 · Cited by 9
“Under the bioeconomy strategy and against the risk of unsustainable biomass use for the natural ecosystem [7–9], the European Union prioritises the use of biomass from residual and waste materials [10].”
BackgroundHatvani, N., van den Oever, M. J. A., Mátéffy, K., & Koós, Á. (2022) · Bio-based and Applied Economics · doi:10.36253/bae-10820 · Cited by 9
“13 Currently, many ongoing bioeconomy-related development activities are heavily dependent on grants and other subsidies, especially for SMEs, and they are quite far from reaching economic profitability, even if their bio-based technology is reported to be on high TRL and BRL. Generally, the income…”
InfluentialAssessment of the Concentration and Structure of the Bioeconomy: The Regional Approach
Muska, A., Popluga, D., & Pilvere, I. (2022) · Emerging Science Journal · doi:10.28991/esj-2023-07-01-05 · Cited by 9
“The sustainability and qualitative growth of current production and consumption patterns may be improved through a change from a fossil-based throughput economy towards a bioeconomy with bio-based and recirculated products and renewable energy [4, 5].”
BackgroundRole of Bioeconomy in Circular Economy
Yadav, B., Atmakuri, A., Chavan, S., Tyagi, R. D., Drogui, P., & Pilli, S. (2021) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-821878-5.00022-2 · Cited by 17
Circularity potential identification for new bio-materials using material flow analysis
Kruczek, M., Jąderko-Skubis, K., Markowska, M., Zgórska, A., & Białowąs, M. (2025) · The Science of The Total Environment · doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.179649 · Cited by 11
Backhouse, M., & Lorenzen, K. (2021) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su13084525 · Cited by 13
“However, studies already emphasized that bioeconomy strategies and policies do not automatically lead to more sustainability [8,9].”
Role of education in implementing the sustainable development strategy
Канафиевна, К. Р., Rudenko, A., & Motylev, R. V. (2021) · E3S Web of Conferences · doi:10.1051/e3sconf/202125007008 · Cited by 22
From static to dynamic: Reviewing the application and potential of dynamic LCA to bio-based systems
de Jong, M., Corona, B., Junginger, M., & Shen, L. (2026) · The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment · doi:10.1007/s11367-026-02624-1 · Cited by 7
Hoang, A. T., Chen, W.-H., Guerrero-Pérez, M., Rodríguez-Castellón, E., López-Escalante, M. C., Huynh, D. N. L., Nguyen, X.-P., Truong, T. H., & Pham, P. (2026) · Energy · doi:10.1016/j.energy.2025.139831 · Cited by 7
Intensification of corn fiber saccharification using a tailor made enzymatic cocktail.
Manso, J. O., Nielsen, M., Moya, E. B., Sandri, J. P., Yamakawa, C. K., & Mussatto, S. I. (2023) · Enzyme and Microbial Technology · doi:10.1016/j.enzmictec.2023.110347 · Cited by 7
Chemo-Sonic Pretreatment Approach on Marine Macroalgae for Energy Efficient Biohydrogen Production
Shankaran, S., Tamilarasan, K., & Jeyakumar, R. B. (2022) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su141912849 · Cited by 7
“When specific requirements are met, the bioeconomy can advance toward sustainability: (i) the resource base is sustainable; (ii) processes and products are sustainable and (iii) transport of materials is viable [13].”
BackgroundO'Shea, R., Howe, C., & Collins, A. (2022) · Social Science Research Network · doi:10.2139/ssrn.4067062 · Cited by 7
Tahvanainen, V., Laakkonen, A., Pesälä, O., Pittaluga, L., Hujala, T., & Pykäläinen, J. (2024) · Forest Policy and Economics · doi:10.1016/j.forpol.2024.103248 · Cited by 6
Yuan, J., Chen, A., Chai, Y., Bai, M., Zhu, S., Peng, L., & Zhang, J. (2024) · Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery · doi:10.1007/s13399-024-05649-4 · Cited by 6
“This shift has prompted many nations to move away from traditional economic models towards a more integrated approach known as the BCG economy, which encompasses the bio-economy, circular economy, and green economy paradigms [1].”
Butt, T., Amjad, M., Raza, S. F., Riaz, F., Ahmad, S., & Abdollahian, M. (2023) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su151813604 · Cited by 6
Understanding the bioeconomy: a new sustainability economy in British and European public discourse
Sotiropoulou, I., & Deutz, P. (2022) · Bio-based and Applied Economics · doi:10.36253/bae-9534 · Cited by 12
“In other cases, the sustainability of the bioeconomy is conflated with the renewability of resources, and those two are both thought to be interchangeable with the sustainability or renewability of capital (Gawel et al., 2019; Birch and Tyfield, 2013).”
InfluentialExperimentalist Governance in Bioeconomy: Insights from the Brazilian Amazon
Pinsky, V., Marcovitch, J., & Val, A. (2024) · Revista de Administração Contemporânea · doi:10.1590/1982-7849rac2024240170.en · Cited by 6
“It seeks sustainable ways of producing and consuming resources (Gawel et al., 2019), while respecting planetary boundaries (Rockström et al., 2023).”
Mbamalu, E. E., & Mohammed, I. Y. (2025) · Materials Circular Economy · doi:10.1007/s42824-025-00179-4 · Cited by 5
“With appropriate strategies and investments, the continent can build on its agricultural, forestry, and fisheries sectors to create a new economic model that is not only sustainable but also highly profitable (Gawel et al. 2019).”
Exploring Social Acceptance in the Bioeconomy: A Scoping Review and Future Research Directions
Sadeghzadeh, M., Henchion, M., & O'Neill, E. (2025) · Cleaner and Circular Bioeconomy · doi:10.1016/j.clcb.2025.100157 · Cited by 5
Escobar, C. H. G., Torres, J. C. G., & Rodríguez, A. O. V. (2024) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su162310370 · Cited by 7
Wurster, S., & Reis, C. F. D. B. (2022) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su141911951 · Cited by 5
Positioning the biofuel policy in the bioeconomy of the BioEast macro-region
Kulišić, B., Dimitriou, I., & Mola-Yudego, B. (2021) · Biofuels · doi:10.1080/17597269.2021.1984165 · Cited by 5
“approach that allows policy learning [22,23].”
Silva, J. C. K., Soliani, R. D., Ferreira-Júnior, G. C., Lovrić, N., & Lobão, M. S. P. (2025) · Gestão & Produção · doi:10.1590/1806-9649-2025v32e14724 · Cited by 5
The impact of digital technology on sustainable agriculture and bioeconomy
Šermukšnytė-Alešiūnienė, K., & Ispiryan, A. (2026) · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · doi:10.3389/fsufs.2026.1655881 · Cited by 5
Gray, K., Edwards, H., Doan, A. G., Huso, W. D., Lee, J., Pan, W., Bolima, N., Morse, M. E., Yoda, S., Gautam, I., et al. (2024) · Fungal Biology and Biotechnology · doi:10.1186/s40694-024-00191-4 · Cited by 5
“Fully biobased materials have the potential to alleviate these pressures due to their 100% renewability and their ability to decompose naturally [1, 4, 5].”
Olivo, M. L. O., & Lakner, Z. (2023) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su15065158 · Cited by 4
Metadata
- Authors
- Gawel, E., Pannicke, N., & Hagemann, N.
- Affiliations
- Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Gawel, Erik
- Venue
- Sustainability
- Publisher
- MDPI AG
- Published
- 2019-05-28
- Volume
- 11
- Issue
- 11
- Pages
- 3005
- ISSN
- 2071-1050 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2946868949
- Cited by
- 176
- References
- 135
- Citations by year
- 2026: 15 · 2025: 22 · 2024: 34 · 2023: 32 · 2022: 34 · 2021: 21 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 3
- FWCI
- 37.86
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- dx.doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Sustainability (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Qucosa (Saxon State and University Library Dresden) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Funders
- Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (031A078A)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › General Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Bioeconomy and Sustainability Development
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Sustainability and Climate Change Governance
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law › Sustainable Development and Environmental Management
- Keywords
- bioeconomy, bioproducts, circular economy, welfare loss, fossil resource substitution, consumer acceptance, bioeconomy governance, climate change mitigation, sustainability conflicts
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