Defining the Bioeconomy

Both OECD and developing countries face a range of environmental, social, and economic challenges over the next two decades. Rising incomes, particularly in developing countries, will increase demand for healthcare and for agricultural, forestry, and fishing products. At the same time, many of the world’s ecosystems that support human societies are overexploited and unsustainable. Climate change could exacerbate these environmental problems by adversely affecting water supplies and increasing the frequency of drought. Biotechnology offers technological solutions for many of the health and resource-based problems facing the world. The application of biotechnology to primary production, health and industry could result in an emerging “bioeconomy” where biotechnology contributes to a significant share of economic output. The bioeconomy in 2030 is likely to involve three elements: advanced knowledge of genes and complex cell processes, renewable biomass, and the integration of biotechnology applications across sectors. This book evaluates existing evidence and the characteristics of biotechnology innovation in order to estimate what the bioeconomy of 2030 might look like. It also develops a policy agenda to help guide the use of biotechnology to address current and future challenges. 