Bioeconomy

Waste products from farms could be used to produce a high-energy, low-cost and environmentally-friendly feed for livestock. Scientists from the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS) at Aberystwyth University are working with colleagues from University College Cork in Ireland to investigate how slurry and wastewater from the dairy industry could be put to better use.

The European Commission has published an evaluation of the implementation of the eel regulation, 12 years after its entry into force.

The European Commission announced an ambitious roadmap to tackle the challenges ahead of us. The “European Green Deal” is designed in such a way that no individual nor any region should be left behind the great transformation. The governmental initiative for knowledge-based agriculture, aquaculture, and forestry in the bioeconomy – BIOEAST, of 11 Central and Eastern European member states could play a key role in helping to form the necessary partnerships, to join forces in developing needs, priorities and to work together at the European level in order to achieve the common objectives.

The meeting will discuss how rural climate efforts can be proved and demonstrated, in order to be recognised by markets, authorities and the wider society. Building on examples from different parts of rural Europe, the meeting will discuss possible ways of demonstrating rural activities’ contribution to climate action and environmental sustainability. These may include participatory certification schemes, shared sustainability criteria, or territorial climate labels, among other things. The meeting is addressed at National Rural Networks, RDP Managing Authorities, Local Action Groups and any stakeholders involved in bioeconomy value chains or rural bioeconomy initiatives.

Town halls will need to roll out food waste collections to millions more homes in England under Government plans to stop leftovers going to landfill, figures show.

Ocean acidification is the phenomenon in which oceans are becoming more acidic, as they continue to absorb more and more of carbon in the atmosphere, which is increasing due to human-produced emissions. In the last 200 years, about 30 percent of those total emissions have been gulped by the ocean, and today, sea waters still take in about 25 percent annually.

Biotechnology SMEs contributing to the shift from a fossil-fuel-based economy with innovative processes and products are getting a helping hand with a voucher scheme in the Netherlands.

Researchers at the University of Oxford and the Chinese Academy of Sciences have discovered a new gene that improves the yield and fertilizer use efficiency of rice.

In the face of growing concern over the environmental and health costs of land-based food production, it’s high time to put a spotlight on the role that the ocean and blue food can play in the wider food systems transformation.

Expert Survey warns effective measures are difficult to implement under the prevailing public, political and industrial conditions. The Independent Bio-based Expert Group calls upon the European Commission to seize the momentum of increasing environmental awareness and set a higher level of ambition for stronger market support measures, such as a fossil carbon or CO2 tax, to strengthen and grow a sustainable bio-based economy.

The European Commission's Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROW) invites applications from regions and cities from EU and COSME participating countries with a view to hosting a cluster policy learning and capacity building event with its European Cluster Collaboration Platform.

Amid a need for more accurate, up-to-date and harmonised data and monitoring on Europe’s valuable woodlands, the European Environment Agency and the European Commission today launched a new Forest Information System for Europe (FISE) which aims to become Europe’s knowledge hub to monitor the state, health and sustainability of Europe’s many forests.

The Commission’s Farm to Fork strategy is a welcome response to global food production challenges, but it needs to be implemented coherently and correctly, writes Elsi Katainen.

The Nordic Council of Ministers has launched a survey to better understand the potential of the Bioeconomy in the Baltic Sea Region.

The BlueInvest Fund will provide financing to underlying equity funds that strategically target and support the innovative blue economy. This sector can play an important role in the transformation to a carbon-neutral economy by 2050, an ambition announced in the European Green Deal.

Trappist monks in the Netherlands are turning brewing waste into pure, clean drinking water, thanks to a combination of modern technology and nature itself. It’s part of the NextGen European research project aimed at improving the management of water resources used in industry and agriculture.

Novamont, Turin Polytechnic and University of Bologna launched in Rome, ReSoil Foundation, a new tool to boost a real change, starting from soil health and the key concept of territorial regeneration.

The world’s forests are in serious danger from deforestation and forest degradation. Pressures on EU forest ecosystems due to climate change and unsustainable forest management are a reason for concern and are expected to increase in the future. Protecting forests means protecting biodiversity and working for a climate neutral and climate resilient land. In this context, DG Environment organises an international Conference on Forest for Biodiversity and Climate Change.

The experts cover sustainability subjects from angles such as social and ecologic transitions, sustainable development measurement, innovation policies, higher education, youth, digitalisation, circular economy, governance issues and citizens’ engagement.