Handbook on the Bioeconomy

Providing a comprehensive account of the latest research and thinking on the bioeconomy, Davide Viaggi brings together expert authors to reflect on the economics of using renewable biological resources to produce bio-based materials, food, energy, and more, through a wide set of technological pathways including biotechnology. The Handbook analyses the evolving concept of the bioeconomy and its potential as a solution to major global societal and sustainability challenges, including food security, ecosystem management, the limits to growth and combating climate change and pollution. Chapters explore topics including bioeconomy strategies and policies, the demand and supply of biomass and bioeconomy products and innovation systems. Authors examine the bioeconomy’s links with sustainability, the circular economy and ecosystem services, and education to build skills and change behaviours. The Handbook also highlights the importance of economic modelling and of a system dynamics approach to investigate structural transformation. Mapping potential pathways for future research, the Handbook on the Bioeconomy is an essential resource for scholars and students of agricultural and food economics, environmental, energy and resource economics and the economics of innovation. Students of public policy, sustainability and societal impacts of climate change will also find it beneficial.

Table of Contents:
Contents Foreword by Christian Patermann Preface 1 Introduction to the Handbook on the Bioeconomy 1 Davide Viaggi 2 Defining and monitoring the bioeconomy – a socioeconomic perspective 15 Tévécia Ronzon, Andrea El Meligi, Patricia Gurría, Alfredo Mainar Causapé, George Philippidis and Robert M’Barek 3 The political economy of the bioeconomy 38 David Zilberman, Gal Hochman, Madhu Khanna and Justus Wesseler 4 Bioeconomy visions, strategies, policies, and governance across different world regions 51 Francis X. Johnson, Stefan Bößner, Rocio Diaz-Chavez and Mairon G. Bastos Lima 5 Consumer adoption of bioeconomy products 82 Joana Wensing, Angela Bearth and Vincenzina Caputo 6 Supply of bioeconomy products 103 Giacomo Maria Rinaldi, Matteo Zavalloni and Davide Viaggi 7 Accelerating the bioeconomy and the innovation process with the emergent concept of biofoundries 120 Débora Moretti, Natalie Laibach and Stefanie Bröring 8 Innovation mechanisms in the bioeconomy 139 Kutay Cingiz, Justus Wesseler and Max Kardung 9 International innovation systems for the bioeconomy 152 Carl Pray and Regina Birner 10 What can the bioeconomy contribute to the achievement of higher degrees of sustainability? From substitution to structural change to transformation 197 Andreas Pyka, Stephanie Lang and Ezgi Ari 11 Circularity and bioeconomy: towards a circular bioeconomy 216 Nunzia G. Fasolino, Matteo Zavalloni and Davide Viaggi 12 Bioeconomy and ecosystem services 233 Fabio Bartolini and Davide Viaggi 13 Modelling the bioeconomy 251 Pieter Johannes Verkerk, Alessandro Varacca, Giuseppe Cardellini, Ana Rosa Gonzalez-Martinez, Mariana Hassegawa, Myrna van Leeuwen, Marko Lovrić, Robert M’Barek, Alexander Moiseyev, Hans van Meijl, George Philippidis, Andreas Pyka, Paolo Sckokai, Viktoriya Sturm, Maria Vrachioli, Willem-Jan, van and Zeist 14 Modelling the bioeconomy using system dynamics approaches 283 Nunzia Gabriella Fasolino, Giacomo Maria Rinaldi and Davide Viaggi 15 Education and awareness in the bioeconomy 301 Sophie Urmetzer, Lina Mayorga, Jan Lask, Bastian Winkler, Evelyn Reinmuth and Iris Lewandowski 16 Economics of the bioeconomy: reflections on conceptual challenges and pathways 332 Davide Viaggi

About the Author :
Edited by Davide Viaggi, Professor of Agricultural Economics, Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Bologna, Italy

Review :
‘The bioeconomy is a new and rapidly emerging field that requires the exploration of evolving concepts, ideas, definitions and measurement issues to stimulate further research and application. This book is a tour de force. Its 16 complementary chapters written by highly qualified experts should be recommended reading, not just for those new to the field but for expert practitioners.’ ‘This Handbook edited by Professor Davide Viaggi presents the main features of the bioeconomy as a dynamic and evolving meta-sector, proposing solutions to the challenges of local and global impacts of climate change, pollution, and ecosystems and biodiversity degradation, as well as the evolving societal needs for food and other goods. It is an excellent Handbook, particularly for its transdisciplinary economic view of the bioeconomy.’ ‘I welcome this new book as a much-needed and well-structured set of original chapters about the bioeconomy from a socioeconomic perspective. It digs into relevant topics, spanning from measurement problems to consumers and supply chain issues, touching base on circularity, innovation and educational matters. Modelling techniques are introduced as valuable tools for disentangling systemic complexity.’