Bioeconomy - Advancing the Transition to a Sustainable, Biobased Economy

This open access textbook is the carefully revised, second edition on the evolving field of the "Bioeconomy". It defines the sustainable and innovative use of biomass and biological knowledge to provide food, feed, industrial products, bioenergy, and ecological services. The book´s structure has been extensively updated and expanded to six parts. New chapters feature bioeconomy principles, sustainability and normative aspects, as well as bioeconomy monitoring. Additionally, a dedicated section explores diverse stakeholder perspectives, covering insights from farmers, consumers, researchers, and others. Contributions highlight the importance of bioeconomy-related concepts in public, scientific, and political discourse. The expert authors use an interdisciplinary approach and outline the dimensions of the bioeconomy as a means of achieving sustainability.
The book parts cover:
Bioeconomy Context, Concepts and Principles
Biomass Production Systems 
Biomass Processing
Markets for Bio-based Products & Economics for a Sustainable Bioeconomy
Stakeholders of the Bioeconomy
Guiding the Bioeconomy Transition
Vividly redesigned and enriched by two types of videos (deepening course material as well as chapter summaries presented by virtual student ambassadors), this volume provides university students and all interested readers with extensive knowledge around the bioeconomy. You can also benefit from the videos in the print version through the free Springer Nature More Media App. Using definitions and excursuses, this new work familiarizes you with bioeconomy-related terms and gives scientific background for economists, agronomists, and natural scientists alike. To test comprehension and consolidate your learning, each chapter concludes with a Questions & Answers section. Finally, as the bioeconomy is increasingly recognized as a strategy for achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), this work is a must-read for anyone interested in the green economy, the circular economy, and sustainable development.

List of contents

Part I: Bioeconomy Context, Concepts and Principles.- Chapter 1: Context.- Chapter 2: Bioeconomy Concepts.- Chapter 3: Guiding Principles of a Bioeconomy.- Chapter 4: Biobased Value Chains and webs.- Part II: Biomass Production Systems.- Chapter 5: Biobased Resources.- Chapter 6: Agricultural Production.- Chapter 7: Urban Agriculture.- Chapter 8: Forestry.- Chapter 9: Blue Bioeconomy.- Chapter 10: Microalgae.- Chapter 11: Insects.- Chapter 12: Residual Biomass Origins, Characteristics, Composition.- Chapter 13: Biogenous waste management.- Chapter 14: Biobased fertilizing products closing nutrient loops by recycling.- Chapter 15: Digitalization in the agricultural production.- Chapter 16: Economics of primary production.- Part III: Processing.- Chapter 17: Biomass use and biorefineries.- Chapter 18: Biotechnological Conversion.- Chapter 19: Thermochemical Conversion.- Chapter 20: Food Processing.- Chapter 21: Milk and meat analogues.- Chapter 22: Transforming biobased side streams and raw materials into food ingredients.- Chapter 23: Extraction of fibres for non food applications.- Chapter 24: Bioenergy Energy derived from Biomass.- Chapter 25: Digitalization in processing.- Chapter 26: Process and Product Cost Assessment.- Part IV: Markets for bio-based products & Economics for a sustainable Bioeconomy.- Chapter 27: Markets of Bio Based Resources and Products.- Chapter 28: Economics for a sustainable Bioeconomy Theory and Policies.- Part V: Stakeholders of the Bioeconomy.- Chapter 29: Governance of the Bioeconomy.- Chapter 30: The Role of Farmers and Farmer Associations.- Chapter 31: Sustainability management at farm level.- Chapter 32: Fostering innovation systems for the transition to a bioeconomy.- Chapter 33: Inclusive and responsible innovation in the bioeconomy.- Chapter 34: Entrepreneurial Ventures and the Bioeconomy.- Chapter 35: Sustainability management at corporate level.- Chapter 36: Consumers in the Bioeconomy.- Chapter 37: Inter and Transdisciplinary Research in Bioeconomy.- Chapter 38: The Bioeconomist.- Part VI: Guiding the Bioeconomy Transition.- Chapter 39: Conditions for a Responsible Bioeconomy.- Chapter 40: Exploring the Biodiversity-Bioeconomy Nexus.- Chapter 41: Sustainability Assessment.- Chapter 42: Modelling to Support the Bioeconomy Transition.- Chapter 43: Bioeconomy Monitoring.

About the author

Iris Lewandowski is Professor of Biobased Resources in the Bioeconomy at the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart, Germany. She is also Director of the international master’s programme in “Bioeconomy” at the university and has advanced its bioeconomy strategy in her roles as Chief Bioeconomy Officer (CBO) and Scientific Coordinator of the European Bioeconomy University (EBU). She is currently Co-chair of Baden-Württemberg’s Federal Bioeconomy Council. Previously, she has worked as Global Biomass R&D Program Manager at Shell Global Solutions in Amsterdam and as Senior Biomass Researcher at University of Utrecht, both in the Netherlands. Her research interests primarily focus on sustainable biomass supply systems and the development of biobased value chains.
Lina Mayorga is an industrial engineer with a master’s degree in Bioeconomy. She currently works as project coordinator at the University of Hohenheim, leading impactful European initiatives in bioeconomy education at master and vocational levels from conception to successful implementation. With a passion for education and innovation, she also imparts her expertise as a lecturer and tutor, inspiring the next generation of bioeconomy leaders. Her interests lie in the intersection of education, bioeconomy, and stakeholder network analysis.
Philipp Scheurich is a research associate at the University of Hohenheim, Germany. He holds a master’s degree in Bioeconomy from the University of Hohenheim, as well as a joint master’s degree in Biology and English Language and Literary Sciences from the University of Hohenheim and the University of Stuttgart. In his role at the Bioeconomy Office Hohenheim, he contributes to various projects in bioeconomy research and teaching, as well as networking and transfer activities at the state, federal and European level. His research covers a wide range of interests and primarily focuses on the development of sustainable bioeconomic value chains with a focus on the valorisation of residual and by-product streams in the context of a circular bioeconomy.
Ricardo Vargas-Carpintero holds a degree in industrial Engineering from the Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas (Bogotá, Colombia) and a master’s degree in Bioeconomy from the University of Hohenheim. He is a research associate at the department of Biobased Resources in the Bioeconomy at the University of Hohenheim. His research focuses on the design and development of value chains and webs from plant biodiversity and the innovation systems to support them. He investigates the formation of value chains from novel crops in Latin America such as the Acrocomia palm, a case that intertwines many of his interests: territorial bioeconomy systems, non-timber forest products, rural development, agricultural diversification, ecosystem restoration and social inclusion.
Valentin Schlecht is a research associate at the University of Hohenheim, Germany, in the field of sustainable bioeconomy systems. He is involved in EU-funded bioeconomy research projects and holds a master's degree in Bioeconomy from the same university. His research encompasses a wide range of interests with a particular focus on value chain and web development and sustainability assessment of biobased systems. His goal is to provide contextualized information for decision makers in the field of the bioeconomy.
Jan Weik is a research associate in the field of sustainability assessment at the University of Hohenheim, Germany. He holds a master's degree in Bioeconomy from the same university. Since graduation, Jan has been working as a research assistant at the University of British Columbia’s Forest Resource Management department and as an LCA analyst for a Canadian environmental consultancy firm. His research is focused on the improvement of Life Cycle Assessment by coupling the method with other modelling approaches. His goal is to provide robust sustainability information about agricultural systems and bio-based value chains. Jan was also part of the student editor team of this book’s first edition.
 

Summary

This open access textbook is the carefully revised, second edition on the evolving field of the "Bioeconomy". It defines the sustainable and innovative use of biomass and biological knowledge to provide food, feed, industrial products, bioenergy, and ecological services. The book´s structure has been extensively updated and expanded to six parts. New chapters feature bioeconomy principles, sustainability and normative aspects, as well as bioeconomy monitoring. Additionally, a dedicated section explores diverse stakeholder perspectives, covering insights from farmers, consumers, researchers, and others. Contributions highlight the importance of bioeconomy-related concepts in public, scientific, and political discourse. The expert authors use an interdisciplinary approach and outline the dimensions of the bioeconomy as a means of achieving sustainability.
The book parts cover:
• Bioeconomy Context, Concepts and Principles
• Biomass Production Systems 
• Biomass Processing
• Markets for Bio-based Products & Economics for a Sustainable Bioeconomy
• Stakeholders of the Bioeconomy
• Guiding the Bioeconomy Transition
Vividly redesigned and enriched by two types of videos (deepening course material as well as chapter summaries presented by virtual student ambassadors), this volume provides university students and all interested readers with extensive knowledge around the bioeconomy. You can also benefit from the videos in the print version through the free Springer Nature More Media App. Using definitions and excursuses, this new work familiarizes you with bioeconomy-related terms and gives scientific background for economists, agronomists, and natural scientists alike. To test comprehension and consolidate your learning, each chapter concludes with a Questions & Answers section. Finally, as the bioeconomy is increasingly recognized as a strategy for achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), this work is a must-read for anyone interested in the green economy, the circular economy, and sustainable development.

Product details

• Assisted by: Iris Lewandowski (Editor), Lina Mayorga-Duarte (Editor), Philipp Scheurich (Editor), Philipp Scheurich et al (Editor), Valentin Schlecht (Editor), Ricardo Vargas Carpintero (Editor), Jan Weik (Editor)
• Publisher: Springer, Berlin
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Release: 12.01.2026
• EAN: 9783032090973
• ISBN: 978-3-0-3209097-3
• No. of pages: 688
• Illustrations: XIV, 688 p. 305 illus., 271 illus. in color.
• Subjects: Natural sciences, medicine, IT, technology > Biology > Ecology; Nachhaltigkeit, Umwelt, SDG, Sustainability, Transformation, Economics, Agrarwissenschaften, Agrarwirtschaft und primärer Sektor, Energiewirtschaft und Versorgungsunternehmen, Circular Economy, Open Access, Sustainable Development Goals, macroeconomics, Green Economy, Energy Policy, Economics and Management, Resource Management, Ecosystems, Natural Resource and Energy Economics, Agricultural Economics, natural resources and energy economics, Agroecology, policies, Biomass Management, Biobased value chains