Presentation
Based on a literature review of policy documents and interviews in different countries (Ecuador, Brazil, South Africa, Zambia), this Issue Brief examines the conditions for a country to set up a socio-bioeconomy strategy that contributes to the development of its nature-rich areas while addressing the needs of communities who are often in vulnerable situations.
Key Messages
- Socio-bioeconomy can support better economic resilience of developing countries, through a diversification of the national economy and of the livelihoods of local communities. This resilience is conditioned by the use of biodiversity within sustainable limits, both ecologically and socially.
- A national socio-bioeconomy strategy, based on the experience numerous successful initiatives on the ground, can play a key role for local action to unfold, by addressing gaps in knowledge, infrastructure, and investments. This comes through a recognition of the contributions of bioeconomy to national goals on poverty and inequality reduction, and on ecosystem protection and restoration goals.
- Given the span of activities falling under bioeconomy, a key function of a bioeconomy strategy is to provide the governance arrangements for interministerial coordination. This includes actors traditionally focused on environmental protection but also actors in the field of development, agriculture etc.
- Financial needs for socio-bioeconomy to unfold are diverse and can be filled through a range of public and private, international and domestic sources. This includes recognizing the contributions of socio-bioeconomy in development approaches as part of the dialogue with international funders (e.g., country platforms).
- Beyond financing, bioeconomy strategies should aim to lift the structural barriers small and medium enterprises (SMEs) face to access local, regional and global markets, since SMEs are at the foundation of socio-bioeconomy businesses.
