Characteristics of bioeconomy systems and sustainability issues at the territorial scale. A review

Abstract: The bioeconomy is expected to be a key solution to supply societies with food and non-food products while replacing non-renewable resources and preserving natural ones. Sustainability of bioeconomy systems is currently an issue that has to be addressed. Current research dealing with the bioeconomy focuses primarily on technologies to improve biomass transformation and, with regard to sustainability, on simple and unitary bio-based value chains such as biofuel production from a single crop. In this paper, based on a literature review, we highlight the complexity of bioeconomy systems and propose a framework to support their sustainable development. We first review the key characteristics of bioeconomy systems: a wide variety of stakeholders with a limited vision of bioeconomy systems, flexibility but also rigidity of biomass feedstocks or transformation processes and a complex spatio-temporal layout. Drawing on sustainability science, we show the relevance of the social-ecological concept to approach territorial bioeconomy systems' sustainably and develop an analytical framework to address sustainable development of territorial (local/regional) bioeconomy systems. This framework is based on two complementary representations of territorial bioeconomy systems, used to decipher their complexity. Finally, we outline an integrated assessment and modelling approach designed to tackle specific bioeconomy sustainability issues. This participatory approach has to take into account: i) the different sub-systems of territorial bioeconomy systems, their high level of interactions, their heterogeneity in terms of entities and processes involved and the circularity of matter and energy (production, transformation, use and recycling) with particular emphasis on the transformation sub-system and the logistics ii) the multiplicity and flexibility of stakeholders’ nature, strategies and concerns, iii) the variety of spatial and temporal scales at play; iv) the effects of exogenous drivers like supra-regional policies and regulations, markets (e.g. prices of energies and biomass-based products) and climate.