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Governance of the Bioeconomy: A Global Comparative Study of National Bioeconomy Strategies

Author

Listed:
  • Thomas Dietz

    (Institute of Political Science, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, 48151 Münster, Germany)

  • Jan Börner

    (Center for Development Research (ZEF), Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, 53113 Bonn, Germany
    Institute for Food and Resource Economics (ILR), Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, 53115 Bonn, Germany)

  • Jan Janosch Förster

    (Center for Development Research (ZEF), Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, 53113 Bonn, Germany)

  • Joachim Von Braun

    (Center for Development Research (ZEF), Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, 53113 Bonn, Germany)

Abstract

More than forty states worldwide currently pursue explicit political strategies to expand and promote their bioeconomies. This paper assesses these strategies in the context of the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Our theoretical framework differentiates between four pathways of bioeconomic developments. The extent to which bioeconomic developments along these pathways lead to increased sustainability depends on the creation of effective governance mechanisms. We distinguish between enabling governance and constraining governance as the two fundamental political challenges in setting up an effective governance framework for a sustainable bioeconomy. Further, we lay out a taxonomy of political support measures (enabling governance) and regulatory tools (constraining governance) that states can use to confront these two political challenges. Guided by this theoretical framework, we conduct a qualitative content analysis of 41 national bioeconomy strategies to provide systematic answers to the question of how well designed the individual national bioeconomy strategies are to ensure the rise of a sustainable bioeconomy.

Suggested Citation

  • Thomas Dietz & Jan Börner & Jan Janosch Förster & Joachim Von Braun, 2018. "Governance of the Bioeconomy: A Global Comparative Study of National Bioeconomy Strategies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-20, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:9:p:3190-:d:168162
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    bioeconomy; governance; development policy; innovation; technology; bio-based;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics
    • Q0 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - General
    • Q2 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Renewable Resources and Conservation
    • Q3 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Nonrenewable Resources and Conservation
    • Q5 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics
    • Q56 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environment and Development; Environment and Trade; Sustainability; Environmental Accounts and Accounting; Environmental Equity; Population Growth
    • O13 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Agriculture; Natural Resources; Environment; Other Primary Products

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