BAMBOO is focusing on biodiversity impacts from non-food biomass and the trade thereof. To tackle this, we work at the global scale on developing methods to assess impacts on biodiversity that have so far not been covered, are working on improving and expanding trade models and generate scenarios with integrated assessment models to derive recommendations and leverage points for transformative change.
For the development of biodiversity impacts, we focus on three different metrics, considering different aspects: 1) PDF (potentially disappeared fraction of species – a metric for species richness loss), 2) MSA (mean species abundance – a metric for documenting change in abundance), and 3) FD (functional diversity – capturing losses of ecosystem functioning). For PDF, we have a large focus on developing methods for marine ecosystems, since they are so far underrepresented, and we cover ocean acidification, seabed damage and overexploitation. For MSA, the focus is on terrestrial ecosystems, and FD focuses on eutrophication, climate change, and overexploitation as well. In addition, we develop and identify methods that are covering impacts on ecosystem services, which are a more anthropocentric view of impacts.
For trade, we create a new, hybrid multiregional input-output (MRIO) model based on the well-known EXIOBASE and the biomass-specific FABIO model. FABIO is expanded in terms of products covered, adding forestry (FORBIO) and aquatic products (FISHIO), in addition to bio-based chemicals. The hybrid MRIO model combines and extends existing physical and monetary MRIO models, allowing us to comprehensively track global flows of raw and processed non-food biomass in unprecedented detail.
This hybrid model will then be linked to the integrated assessment model IMAGE for scenario generation. Using our system of coupled models, we assess the hotspots and leverage points of the non-food biomass economy and design future scenarios with mitigated impacts on ecosystems, identifying potential pathways for transformative change.
Apart from global assessments and recommendations, we showcase the applicability of our models in two local case studies of global relevance, fishmeal and fish oil production in Peru and cotton production in Tanzania, as well as two case studies with a retailer.
To facilitate transformative change towards protecting biodiversity, we develop an online tool that allows stakeholders to use all models easily. In general, our data will be freely available on Zenodo while safeguarding proprietary information from commercial partners. Overall, BAMBOO provides comprehensive and detailed knowledge of the effects of biomass trade from land and sea on biodiversity and ecosystem services and an improved way of identifying leverage points. This will ultimately contribute to better environmental decision-making by policymakers, retailers and other stakeholders, supporting the achievement of science-based targets and the SDGs.
