Journal of Science Policy & Governance
​Volume 20, Issue 01 | March 28, 2022

Op-Ed: Public engagement and education can support the transition towards sustainable bioeconomy

Marco M. Grande
University of Bologna, Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Bologna, Italy

​Corresponding author: [email protected]​
Keywords: bioeconomy; public engagement; education; awareness; European Commission; sustainability; sustainable development
https://doi.org/10.38126/JSPG200104

Executive Summary

In August 2021, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change approved a new contribution to its latest report emphasizing the urgency of addressing human-made climate change. One mechanism for this is through the transition towards a fair and sustainable bioeconomy. This transition can build resilience to climate change and other environmental, social and economic challenges of our time but requires the support of public engagement and education activities. The transition must consider communication and educational needs in the implementation and design of current and future European public policies for the development of a sustainable bioeconomy. Stakeholders need to better understand what the bioeconomy is and what benefits it can bring, while also acquiring newly required skills. Therefore, it is necessary to exchange information clearly and transparently, involving key stakeholders at each level. To bridge the skills gap in the European bioeconomy, it is pivotal to offer transdisciplinary education to new generations, while promoting school projects, vocational training, life-long learning programs and informal STEM education. Adequate levels of public funding and commitment will be required to implement such policies. Furthermore, meeting the needs of stakeholders both as audiences and as learners will ensure that no one is left behind. Relevant EU and local policies should support public engagement and education for a sustainable bioeconomy, exploiting the results of EU-funded projects.

-Read the full article through download.-

Background header image courtesy of MSUAgBioResearch from Flickr
Marco M. Grande is a research fellow at the University of Bologna, Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences. He has conducted research on public engagement and education in the European bioeconomy under the H2020 project Transition2BIO. He is also involved in the Bioeconomy Unit of the Research Services office at the University of Bologna, supporting the European Bioeconomy University alliance, of which the University of Bologna is a co-founding member. He graduated from the University of Padua with a master’s degree in industrial biotechnology, and from the University of Ferrara with a postgraduate course in institutional science communication.

Acknowledgements
This work was supported by the “Support the TRANSITION towards the BIOeconomy for a more sustainable future through communication, education and public engagement” (Transition2BIO) project, funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement no. 101000539. The author is grateful to all the instructors and organizers of the Science Policy and Advocacy Certificate Program for STEM Scientists (UC-Irvine/JSPG).

References

  1. Baležentis, T, D Streimikiene, T Zhang, and G Liobikiene. 2019. "The role of bioenergy in greenhouse gas emission reduction in EU countries: An Environmental Kuznets Curve modelling." Resources, Conservation & Recycling 142: 225-231. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2018.12.019.
  2. Bang, J K, A Follér, and M Buttazzoni. 2009. Industrial biotechnology - More than green fuel in a dirty economy? Copenhagen: WWF Denmark.
  3. Bastos Lima, M G, and U Palme. 2022. "The Bioeconomy–Biodiversity Nexus: Enhancing or Undermining Nature’s Contributions to People?" Conservation 2: 7-25. https://doi.org/10.3390/conservation2010002.
  4. BIOBRIDGES. 2020a. "Biobridges Action Plan for raising consumers’ awareness." https://www.biobridges-project.eu/results/action-plan-for-raising-consumers-e2-80-99-awareness/.
  5. BIOBRIDGES. 2020b. "BIOBRIDGES CONSULTATION Consumers’ Awareness on Bio-Based Products." https://www.biobridges-project.eu/results/biobridges-consultation/.
  6. BioCannDo. 2020. "The BioCannDo experience: Let’s talk about bio-based products, 10 Insights on communicating the bioeconomy." AllThings.Bio. http://www.allthings.bio/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/BCD-Final-publication-WEB.pdf.
  7. BIOWAYS. 2017. "Public perception of bio-based products." https://www.bioways.eu/multimedia/press-corner/public-results-/.
  8. BLOOM. 2018. "Guidebook on engagement and co-creation methodologies." https://bloom-bioeconomy.eu/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/D3-3_Guidebook-on-engagement-and-co-creation-methods_final.pdf.
  9. Bugge, Markus M., Teis Hansen, and Antje Klitkou. 2016. "What Is the Bioeconomy? A Review of the Literature." Sustainability 8, 691. https://doi.org/10.3390/su8070691.
  10. EBU. 2020. "EBU OPINION PAPER: The Bioeconomy and the Green Deal." https://european-bioeconomy-university.eu/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/EBU-opinion-paper_GreenDeal_final.pdf.
  11. EC. 2018. "A sustainable bioeconomy for Europe: strengthening the connection between economy, society and the environment - Updated Bioeconomy Strategy." Publications Office of the European Union. https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/edace3e3-e189-11e8-b690-01aa75ed71a1/.
  12. EC. 2020. "EU’S NEXT LONG-TERM BUDGET & Next Generation EU: KEY FACTS AND FIGURES. https://ec.europa.eu/info/publications/eus-next-long-term-budget-nextgenerationeu-key-facts-and-figures_en.
  13. EC. 2019. The European Green Deal. COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52019DC0640&from=IT.
  14. EEA. 2019. The European environment — state and outlook 2020 Knowledge for transition to a sustainable Europe.https://www.eea.europa.eu/soer/publications/soer-2020.
  15. Ellen MacArthur Foundation. n.d. What is a circular economy? Accessed 2022 https://ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/topics/circular-economy-introduction/overview.
  16. ESU. 2020. "Bologna With Students Eyes 2020." European Students' Union. https://www.esu-online.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/0037-Bologna-Publication-2021-WEB3.pdf.
  17. EuropaBio. 2016. "Jobs and growth generated by industrial biotechnology in Europe." https://edepot.wur.nl/392243.
  18. European Council. 2021. A recovery plan for Europe. https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/policies/eu-recovery-plan/.
  19. FAO. 2021. "Aspirational principles and criteria for a sustainable bioeconomy. https://www.fao.org/documents/card/en/c/cb3706en/.
  20. Farcas, A C, C M Galanakis, C Socaciu, O L Pop, D Tibulca, A Paucean, M A Jimborean, et al. 2021. "Food Security during the Pandemic and the Importance of the Bioeconomy in the New Era." Sustainability 13 (1): 150. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13010150.
  21. GBS2020. 2020. Global Bioeconomy Summit 2020 - Conference Report. https://gbs2020.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/GBS_2020_Report_final.pdf.
  22. GBS2020. 2021. "How to shape education for a sustainable circular bioeconomy?" Global Bioeconomy Summit 2020. https://gbs2020.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Report_Workshop_education_GBS2020.pdf.
  23. Hakovirta, Marko, and Lucian Lucia. 2019. "Informal STEM education will accelerate the bioeconomy." Nature Biotechnology 37, 103–104. https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt.4331.
  24. Henry, R. 2020. "Innovations in Agriculture and Food Supply in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic." Molecular Plant 13 (8): 1095-1097. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molp.2020.07.011.
  25. IPCC. 2021. "Summary for Policymakers." In Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Cambridge University Press. In Press. https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/downloads/report/IPCC_AR6_WGI_SPM_final.pdf.
  26. IPCC. n.d. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Accessed 2021. https://www.ipcc.ch.
  27. ISSCS. 2021. Declaration on the Future of Science Communication. Berlin: International Summer School "Communicating Science". https://www.humboldt-foundation.de/fileadmin/Entdecken/Organisation/Summer_School_Communicating_Science/ISSCS_Declaration.pdf.
  28. Italian Chamber of Deputies. s.d. Modifiche agli articoli 9 e 41 della Costituzione in materia di tutela dell’ambiente. Accessed 2022. https://www.camera.it/leg18/126?tab=1&leg=18&idDocumento=3156.
  29. Italian Senate of the Republic. 2021. Modifiche agli articoli 9 e 41 della Costituzione in materia di tutela dell’ambiente. https://documenti.camera.it/Leg18/Dossier/Pdf/AC0504.Pdf.
  30. Kircher, M. 2022. “The bioeconomy needs economic, ecological and social sustainability.” AIMS Environmental Science 9 (1): 33-50. https://doi.org/10.3934/environsci.2022003.
  31. Kuh, George D. 2019. Why Skills Training Can’t Replace Higher Education. https://hbr.org/2019/10/why-skills-training-cant-replace-higher-education.
  32. Lewandowski, Iris. 2018. Bioeconomy. Springer, Cham. https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007%2F978-3-319-68152-8.
  33. LIFT. 2020a. "Awareness Raising and Communication." https://www.bioeconomy-library.eu/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/01_LIFT_FactSheets_awareness.pdf.
  34. LIFT. 2020b. "Bioeconomy Education." https://www.bioeconomy-library.eu/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/02_LIFT_FactSheets_education.pdf.
  35. LIFT. n.d. European Bioeconomy Library. Accessed 2021. https://www.bioeconomy-library.eu.
  36. LIFT. 2020c. "Stakeholders Engagement and Co-creation." https://www.bioeconomy-library.eu/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/03_LIFT_Factsheets_engagement.pdf.
  37. Mannino, I, L Bell, E Costa, M Di Rosa, A Fornetti, S Franks, C Iasillo, et al. 2021. "Supporting quality in science communication: insights from the QUEST project." JCOM 20 (03), A07. https://doi.org/10.22323/2.20030207.
  38. Masiero, M, L Secco, D Pettenella, R Da Re, H Bernö, A Carreira, A Dobrovolsky, et al. 2020. "Bioeconomy perception by future stakeholders: Hearing from European forestry students." Ambio 49, 1925–1942. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-020-01376-y.
  39. Pubule, J, A Blumberga, S Rozakis, A Vecina, A Kalnbalkite, and D Blumberga. 2020. "Education for Advancing the Implementation of the Bioeconomy Goals: An Analysis of Master Study Programmes in Bioeconomy." Environmental and Climate Technologies vol. 24, no. 2, pp. 149–159. https://doi.org/10.2478/rtuect-2020-0062.
  40. Raupelienė, A. 2017. "EMPLOYMENT IN VS. EDUCATION FOR THE BIOECONOMY." Proceedings of the 8th International Scientific Conference Rural Development 2017: Bioeconomy Challenges. Akademija: Aleksandras Stulginskis University. http://conf.rd.asu.lt/index.php/rd/issue/view/15.
  41. Ronzon, T, and R M'Barek. 2018. "Socioeconomic Indicators to Monitor the EU’s Bioeconomy in Transition." Sustainability 10(6), 1745. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10061745.
  42. Sá, M J, A I Santos, S Serpa, and C M Ferreira. 2021. "Digitainability—Digital Competences Post-COVID-19 for a Sustainable Society." Sustainability 13 (17): 9564. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13179564.
  43. Tilak, Jandhyala B.G. 2006. "Higher education between the state and the market." In Knowledge, Power and Dissent: Critical Perspectives on Higher Education and Research in Knowledge Society, by Guy Neave, UNESCO https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315146386-3.
  44. Transition2BIO. 2021. "Conceptual framework of the awareness, communication and education toolkits – 1st version." https://www.transition2bio.eu/public_result/conceptual-framework-of-the-awareness-communication-and-education-toolkits-1st-version/.
  45. UN. 2015. Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development https://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/migration/generalassembly/docs/globalcompact/A_RES_70_1_E.pdf.
  46. UNECE. 1998. Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making and Justice in Environmental Matters.  Aarhus. https://unece.org/DAM/env/pp/documents/cep43e.pdf.
  47. UNECE. n.d. Status of ratification. https://unece.org/environment-policy/public-participation/aarhus-convention/status-ratification
  48. UNFCCC. 2016. Report of the Conference of the Parties on its twenty-first session, held in Paris from 30 November to 13 December 2015. https://unfccc.int/resource/docs/2015/cop21/eng/10.pdf.
  49. Urmetzer, S, J Lask, R Vargas-Carpintero, and A Pyka. 2020. "Learning to change: Transformative knowledge for building a sustainable bioeconomy." Ecological Economics 167: 106435 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2019.106435.
  50. Wreford, A, K Bayne, P Edwards, and A Renwick. 2019. "Enabling a transformation to a bioeconomy in New Zealand." Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions 31, 184-199.​ https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eist.2018.11.005.
DISCLAIMER: The findings and conclusions published herein are solely attributed to the author and not necessarily endorsed or adopted by the Journal of Science Policy and Governance. Articles are distributed in compliance with copyright and trademark agreements.

ISSN 2372-2193
© 2022 Journal of Science Policy & Governance, Inc. All rights reserved. The opinions, findings and conclusions from JSPG publications, additional article commentaries and related events do not necessarily reflect the views of the journal.