Operationalisation of bioeconomy sustainability principles

Bioeconomy[[ See definition: European Commission, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, A sustainable bioeconomy for Europe – Strengthening the connection between economy, society and the environment – Updated bioeconomy strategy, Publications Office, 2018, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2777/792130]](opens in new window) is a place-based policy framework. The application of sustainability principles in concrete contexts therefore depends on available (environmental and human) assets, challenges and priorities, as well as access to logistics, finance and infrastructure. It is therefore important that sustainability principles are developed both with high clarity of their intention as well as sufficient flexibility to enable implementation in differing contexts. In particular, it is important to assess the impact of bioeconomy on ecosystems and to develop options on how to protect /restore ecosystems while developing bioeconomy. The sustainability principles must be able to give clear direction how to manage situations of conflicting objectives, and ensure that no unintended environmental, economic social consequences follow, preventing unsustainable use of biomass.

Successful proposals are expected to:

• develop or improve the sustainability assessment of bio-based and food value chains, both from land and aquatic systems and their related value webs to increase transparency for businesses and consumers, enabling better informed choices;
• analyse the performance of bioeconomy innovation ecosystems with regard to social, economic, and environmental sustainability, and demonstrate their long-term feasibility (e.g. with regard to infrastructure, climate adaptation, biodiversity and ecosystem protection and restoration). Demonstrate the applicability of bioeconomy sustainability principles in regional case studies, based on the concept of Regional Innovation Valleys for Bioeconomy and Food Systems[[ Concept of Regional Innovation Valleys for Bioeconomy and Food Systems]];
• identify and address challenges for the EU, Member States and regions (e.g. public authorities) to deploy sustainability principles and providing policy recommendations to overcome them.

The possible participation of the JRC in the project would ensure that the approach proposed is compatible with the bioeconomy working streams of the Knowledge Centre for Bioeconomy.

International cooperation is encouraged.

This topic should involve the effective contribution of Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) disciplines, including gender studies[[ See overview of gender and EU bioeconomy: Infografías COOPID AP. See overview of gender in bioeconomy literature: Gender and women in scientific literature on bioeconomy:A systematic review - ScienceDirect]]. Proposals must implement the 'multi-actor approach', with a consortium based on a balanced mix of relevant actors with complementary knowledge to achieve the objectives of the project, including for instance relevant rural actors.

Proposals should include a dedicated task, appropriate resources and a plan on how they will seek synergies with other with other EU programmes and funding instruments initiatives, and ensure complementarities with relevant activities carried out or to be carried out under other initiatives in Horizon Europe (e.g. funded projects under past ZEROPOLLUTION and CIRCBIO Cluster 6 calls).

Proposals should build on the findings of the “Global Resources Outlook [[ Global Resources Outlook 2024 | UNEP - UN Environment Programme]]” 2024 from the International Resource Panel.