Over 18 million people across the EU were employed in the bioeconomy in 2015 – mainly in the agriculture, food and beverage sectors, according to the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre.
The aim of the bioeconomy is to have an innovative and low-emissions economy, bringing together demands for sustainable agriculture while protecting biodiversity and the environment.
In October 2018, the European Commission unveiled a new Bioeconomy Strategy, aiming to accelerate the establishment of a sustainable European bioeconomy while maximising its contribution towards the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as well as the Paris Agreement on climate change.
According to the EU executive, the new delivery model for the post-2020 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) provides EU member states with enough flexibility to link their CAP national strategic plans to national Bioeconomy Strategies.
-
Commission calls for bioeconomy strategies to be expanded and implemented
Under the future Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), the European Commission will not approve the national strategic plan of a member state that does not include the promotion of the bioeconomy in agriculture, the EU's farming Commissioner Phil Hogan said on Thursday (25 April).
-
Netherlands launches 2030 vision to protect biodiversity in agriculture
The Dutch government has launched a new vision for the country’s agriculture, which prioritises the protection of natural resources and the reduction of the sector's environmental impact.
-
Northern French region banks on bioeconomy
In September 2018, the Hauts-de-France region (northern France) adopted a bioeconomy roadmap. The former sugar region wants to become a leader in the sector. EURACTIV France reports.
-
Bioeconomy in CAP – the economy of tomorrow?
In view of the threat of environmental damage caused by climate change, experts are putting a lot of hope in the bioeconomy as a future model in agriculture. But the question is – what kind of bioeconomy do we need? EURACTIV Germany reports.
-
Private sector is part of the solution in bioeconomy, experts say
The private sector has a key role to play in promoting bioeconomy in the agrifood sector, high-level experts have told EURACTIV.com. However, they said the risk of depriving the food production system of organic resources must be weighed up.
