How the new EU bioeconomy strategy can support a competitive, resilient and sustainable agriculture and forestry
The revision of the EU Bioeconomy Strategy presents an opportunity to align land use with sustainability and climate goals, Agora Think Tanks writes in a consultation response.
A robust EU governance framework is key to building a competitive, resilient and sustainable bioeconomy. Such a framework should support efficient use of limited biomass and land resources, while strengthening circular economy, fostering innovation and promoting ecosystem services. These elements are at the core of a contribution by Agora Agriculture in collaboration with Agora Energiewende and Agora Industry to the European Commission’s public consultation on the revision of the EU Bioeconomy strategy.
The Agora Think Tanks proposal focuses on three priorities along the value chains: First, diversifying biomass sources to reduce harmful effects on the environment and to ensure future productivity and tailored supply. Second, steering biomass use away from energy and towards materials, while prioritising long-lasting materials, such as construction wood or insulation material. Energetic biomass use should be reduced to applications that are hard to electrify, like high-temperature process heat. Third, promoting sustainable demand for food and feed, for instance by encouraging plant-rich diets and reducing food waste.
The upcoming strategy revision offers the opportunity to transform value chains and promote the contribution of bio-based materials in supporting sectors to achieve climate neutrality. For instance, enhancing the use of bio-based materials from forests or rewetted peatlands can lower the carbon footprint of buildings significantly. Furthermore, using more residues and less fresh biomass in biogas plants would significantly improve nutrient cycles and guide biomass to where it is most valuable.
The authors propose a comprehensive biomass roadmap based on a cross-sectoral assessment of the future biomass demand and supply. Alongside it, a governance framework is needed to effectively deal with trade-offs and ensure the sector’s contribution to climate neutrality, while creating new economic opportunities in rural areas and strengthening Europe's cleantech leadership.
