Bioeconomy is an emerging term with several disputed definitions. Its first definitions and uses (e.g., OECD and EU) were aimed at clarifying the transition from fossil fuel-dependent economies to models based on biological inputs of agricultural origin but not necessarily biodiverse.

These definitions were adopted by Brazilian institutions and economic sectors focused on the production of biofuels and biochemistry at scale and are more appropriate for consolidated agricultural areas.

Recently, the bioeconomy concept has been redefined as a productive and reproductive paradigm relating to biomes of high biological diversity, such as tropical forests, such as the Amazon. This “bio-ecology bioeconomy” diverges from a bioeconomy focused primarily on an energy transition, valuing social, cultural, and biological diversity.

Faced with this new frontier of economic thinking and with the need to preserve the planet's biotic and climate balance without sacrificing local development, it is understood that the bioeconomy in tropical forests such

as the Amazon must integrate both into an economic system and a socio-ecological landscape, with an emphasis on the interaction with human societies and the forest. Above all, it must be based on the integral conservation of the biome, understood as a living, diverse, and deforestation-free system.

 

Key Findings:

  • Bioeconomy is an emerging trend that has disputed and competing definitions. However, it stands out on scientific, political, and economic agendas and is assuming increasing importance.
  • Existing bioeconomies should be evaluated more by their production process than by the product itself.
  • The concept of the bioeconomy has emerged in industrialized countries as a solution for the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions and energy transition, but not necessarily for conserving biodiversity.
  • Amazonian bioeconomy should focus on strengthening local economies, maintaining a model that includes standing forests, flowing rivers, and a strong community component that emphasizes the values and knowledge of local populations.
  • Amazonian cities play a key role in the development of a bio-ecology bioeconomy that aims to conserve the biome, since urban spaces are capable of mediating and transforming the relationship between society and nature.