The Circular Bioeconomy : Institutional and Production Perspectives

Abstract

Founded on distinct principles to the fossil fuel-based, linear economy, the sustainable, circular bioeconomy requires different social values and institutions and a better understanding of the complexity of the production process. A circular bioeconomy provides a framework for using renewable natural capital to manage land, biodiversity, food, and other industries, with the aim of improving social well-being and environmental safety. The contributors to this book analyse the evolution of the economic system towards the circular economy and bioeconomy and its place in the paradigm of sustainable development. They look at institutions and their importance for the bioeconomy and examine the question of the behaviour of market entities – enterprises and consumers – as well as the meaning of social and environmental responsibility for these entities. They also discuss the issues of the product itself: the process of creation, production, processing and the quality of the product, including its environmental impact throughout its life cycle. The authors also refer to the potential pitfalls and threats related to the implementation of the bioeconomy in both socio-economic and environmental contexts. Individual processes and phenomena are illustrated with case studies and the authors' own research. The book deliberately fosters an interdisciplinary approach founded on cooperation between economists, management specialists, agronomists, biotechnologists, chemists and soil scientists, who together underline the complexity and importance of the interdependence of the economy, society and the natural environment.