Bioeconomy

Agricultural area, abbreviated as AA, describes the area already used for farming, or that could be brought back into cultivation using the resources normally available on an agricultural holding. It includes the land categories: - arable land; - permanent grassland; - permanent crops; - kitchen gardens; - unutilised agricultural area; - special holding areas; The term does not include wooded land and land occupied by buildings, farmyards, tracks, ponds, etc.

The US Department of Agriculture has released a plan including programs to encourage climate-smart production and use of domestic biomass. The plan describes current understanding of biomass use and availability and identifies current challenges and vulnerabilities to biomass supply chain systems in the US, taking stock of existing initiatives and recommending additional actions to support the expansion of the bioeconomy.

Launched by the Commission on 6th February, the EU Rural toolkit provides local authorities, regions, businesses, and individuals with a means to access more easily information on the different EU funding opportunities and take advantage of EU initiatives to improve the quality of life in their territories. The toolkit gathers opportunities from 26 EU funds and offers an interactive funding finder that lets beneficiaries tailor their search based on several criteria, such as the organisation they represent, their proposed activity and the type of support they want.

The Commission has launched an online survey to gather the views of EU farmers on the burden represented by procedures and rules linked to financial support under the CAP, as well as other EU rules for food and agriculture in the EU. The survey is open from 7 March to 8 April. Preliminary results will be presented already by mid-April. In parallel, interviews will be organised with farmers' organisations to complete the picture.

The European Partnership on Agroecology and the European Partnership on Animal Health and Welfare were launched under the umbrella of the EU’s Framework Programme for Research and Innovation Horizon Europe. These Partnerships will bring together funding organisations, research institutes, laboratories, universities, industrial partners and other key stakeholders from EU Member States and countries associated to Horizon Europe to advance research and generate ready-to-use innovations, in key areas of agricultural production.

The EU Bioeconomy Youth Ambassadors were selected by the European Commission in 2022 to represent the voice of the youth within bioeconomy. They have recently published their vision on how to shape the bioeconomy concept and upcoming EU and national bioeconomy policies to align them with the shared mission of tackling climate change and protecting nature. This document addresses the bioeconomy at different levels in terms of geographic boundaries, economic models, technology relevance, educational systems, and citizen engagement, being aware of differential priorities, and the need for coordinated political action from various sides.

The Commission has published a detailed impact assessment on possible pathways to reach the agreed goal of making the European Union climate neutral by 2050, recommending a 90% net greenhouse gas emissions reduction by 2040 compared to 1990 levels. The Communication also sets out a number of enabling policy conditions which are necessary to achieve the 90 % target.

The Commission has proposed a series of targeted actions to boost biotechnology and biomanufacturing in the EU and reap the related benefits. The list of actions includes the review of the EU Bioeconomy Strategy by 2025, to take into account the current societal, demographic and environmental challenges, reinforcing the bioeconomy's industrial dimension and its links to biotechnology and biomanufacturing to contribute to a stronger EU economy.

In this report, JRC scientists aim to assess plausible future forest management options at EU level and their long-term impacts on the forest carbon sink. Simulating different socio-economic pathways and various levels of intensity of forest removal, they show that only a prolonged reduction in wood consumption will keep the forest carbon budget above the EU target until 2050 and thereafter. Nevertheless, the need to increase the forest carbon sink to mitigate climate change could be challenged by an increase in future harvest intensity and wood utilisation.

This JRC study reports the results of a modelling exercise focusing on the economic impact of upcoming free trade agreements on EU agriculture, looking into bilateral trade, production, demand and prices. According to the analysis of 10 new trade agreements, concluded or under negotiation, the EU exports to the 10 partners will increase strongly: by 27 % (EUR 3.5 billion) in a conservative scenario and by 38 % (EUR 4.8 billion) in an ambitious scenario, as compared to a baseline in 2032.

This report captures the main findings of the European Commission (EC) Conference entitled "Food 2030: Green and resilient food systems", held in Brussels on 4-5 December 2023. The event, which represents an important milestone in the EC's Food 2030 process, served to showcase promising R&I outcomes contributing to sustainable food systems transformation in Europe and beyond. Furthermore, the conference provided a space for multi-stakeholder reflection and dialogue towards envisioning future R&I needs.

This paper presents results from a study addressing knowledge gaps in the EU bioeconomy modelling capacity, particularly representations of contemporary bio-based industrial markets. The authors have developed an integrated model toolbox, consisting of five state-of-the-art bioeconomy simulation models. Amongst other things, results indicate that the promotion of biomass for industry reduces fossil dependence, although if enacted globally, may result in a substantial increase in biomass demand.

In this document, the JRC describes the progress made in 2023 for the development, maintenance and updating of the EU Bioeconomy Monitoring System, from its launch in 2020. It contains an overview of the purpose of the system, its current status and an outlook for 2024. In particular, two new indicators were added in 2023, related to the social impacts of trade.

On 5 June 2024, the European Commission will gather actors working on reducing consumer food waste to share the latest initiatives, including those addressing consumer behaviour change, and to discuss how the solutions of the European Consumer Food Waste Forum can support their work. The conference will have an interactive format to facilitate knowledge sharing and networking between participants and experts.

This Festival, organised by the European Commission, included a high-level event in Brussels on 13-14 March, and 33 satellite events taking place across Europe during the entire week. This event aimed to engage youth as drivers of the transformative change needed to address the multiple challenges that Europe faces today, and to unlock the potential of the bioeconomy to make the transformation happen.

The JRC has updated the dashboard and corresponding brief on jobs and growth in the EU bioeconomy, with data until 2021, enabling a comprehensive analysis of the bioeconomy's performances during the COVID-19 pandemic. The brief provides insights into the latest data and trends on employment and value added generated by the biomass-producing and converting sectors in the EU and its Member States during this period.

The Food System Economics Commission, an independent academic body, has brought together several experts and produced this report which identifies the elements related to a transformation from today’s food systems to an inclusive, health-enhancing and environmentally sustainable global food system, looking at its feasibility from an environmental and technical perspective and at its social and economic benefits globally.