Author: SABio

On November 29th 2021 the virtual workshop “Research and Public policies for a sustainable bioeconomy in Uruguay” took place. More than 50 participants from research centers, Universities, ministries and international organizations took part in the workshop.

As a result of a four-year participatory process, the technical staff of an interinstitutional governing body developed the Uruguayan National Strategy for a Circular and Sustainable Bioeconomy, whose approval by the national authorities is still pending. The next step is to continue building the Action Plan to effectively implement the national Strategy.

In this framework, the SABio Project with its Uruguayan partners – Universidad ORT and Universidad de la República – organized a workshop with the following objectives:

• Level-up and diffuse the scientific knowledge that can feed into the four pillars of the Action Plan of the Bioeconomy Strategy;

• Identify the gaps and set the basis for the generation of additional scientific knowledge related to the Action Plan in future years;
• Build a network of researchers working in bioeconomy-related topics;
• Bring researchers and scientists closer to the policy-makers in charge of the Strategy.

The workshop was organized around the strategic pillars of the Bioeconomy Strategy. First, representatives of the Ministries of Agriculture and Industry presented the key components of the Strategy as a framework to guide future bioeconomy policies and discussed the research needs for its implementation. Then, three initiatives and research projects related to the pillars of the Strategy were presented:

• In the pillar Sustainable and circular production and consumption, Alejandro Carbajales, from Centro Tecnológico del Agua, presented the most relevant projects of the Center;
• The pillar International insertion based on environmental added value was covered by the presentation of Michael Carroll and the initiatives deployed by the Grupo de Productores del Sur and Alianza del Pastizal;
• Under the pillar Inclusive local development, Amalia Stuhldreher and Isabel Bortagaray presented the Project Bioeconomy as a development model for the Uruguayan North East region.

The purpose of these presentations was to showcase research-based initiatives and research projects that can contribute to the implementation of the action plan of the Strategy.

Finally, after a Q&A session, there was a debate between the audience and the speakers to discuss how research, science and technology should be articulated to support the implementation of public policies.

Policy Brief

The outcomes of the fruitful exchange will be used to produce a policy brief by the SABio project containing the main conclusions of the workshop. The policy brief will highlight how research can contribute to the effective implementation of actions framed in the Bioeconomy Strategy, the main gaps in research and the suggested mechanisms for a better articulation between public policies and science and research.

Download Policy Brief:

Kefeli, D., & Silva Carrazzone, M. E. (2023). Estrategia uruguaya para una bioeconomía circular y sostenible: desafíos en promover la ciencia, tecnología e innovación (Issue 47). ZEF – Center for Development Research. https://www.zef.de/fileadmin/user_upload/Policy_Brief_47_spanish.pdf

On December 2, 2021, researcher Guilherme de Queiroz-Stein participated as a representative of WWU-Münster in the workshop “Innovations in Bioeconomy,” promoted by Fraunhofer Liaison Office Brazil. His presentation focused on the potential of a bioeconomy based on biodiversity in Brazil, the subject of his current research. According to Queiroz-Stein, there is a need to advance in a bioeconomy that, while promoting economic development, is inclusive, adopting strategies to combat poverty, generate employment and income. A new bioeconomy that values ​​national biodiversity will also be essential to promoting environmental preservation and food and nutrition security. To exemplify the possibilities of fostering these strategies, he presented three cases. First, the “Plants for the Future” survey, promoted by the Ministry of the Environment, identified 674 plants with current and future economic value in the country’s five macro-regions. The second case was Natura S.A., which incorporates bioprospecting and benefit-sharing activities with traditional communities in its business model. Currently, Natura is one of the most prominent global players in the cosmetics market, with a significant impact on job creation in the country. Finally, he discussed the potential of Açaí from Juçara Palm (Euterpe edulis), a species from the Atlantic Forest, to combine food security strategies with environmental preservation.

It is possible to watch the presentation in the following link, at 2:51:40: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4KA7bfm5dk&t=4s&ab_channel=AHKBrasil

On December 7, 2021 a SABio Interdisciplinary Colloquium took place in a hybrid format. Different members of the scientific staff from both Universities and the steering committee joined the event, part of them virtually from different parts of South America and Europe, and part of them in person at the Center for Development Research in Bonn.

In the Colloquium, Junior Researchers from the University of Bonn presented advances in their research.

Trevor Tisler presented his paper “Deforestation Contamination in Brazil’s Ethanol Supply Chains under the National Biofuels Policy”. The main research question focuses on identifying and quantifying direct and indirect deforestation and its linked carbon emissions that may be contaminating carbon offset credit sales in Brazil’s first regulated carbon marketplace, the CBIO marketplace.

Pablo Mac Clay presented his work “Value chains in the transition to a sustainable bioeconomy”. There, he analyzed which value chain features are associated with a process of intensified innovation in the bioeconomy and presented an overarching typology of bioeconomic value chains. Finally, he introduced a preliminary discussion on the potential implications for the social welfare for different actors from an increased rate of innovation in the bioeconomy.

Finally, María Eugenia Silva Carrazzone presented her paper “The role of the Reference point and Time inconsistencies in farmers’ compliance with sustainable soil policies”. The aim of her work is to assess how the reference point of the Prospect Theory -against which individuals define losses and gains- and their time inconsistencies can contribute to
farmers’ compliance to soil conservation policies that imply trade-offs. While most of the papers that model decision-making consider Expected Utility assumptions, the novelty of her work lies in the introduction of behavioral hints to the discussion.

Melisa Deciancio participated in the Roundtable: “Latin American knowledge contributions to International Relations” invited by the Centre for the International Politics of Knowledge (KNOWLEDGE Centre) at the University of Aberystwyth, UK, on December 1st, 2021, chaired by Amaya Querejazu (University of Aberystwyth) and with the participation of Marcos Scauso (Quinnipiac University) and Kinti Pablo Orellana (Queen Mary University of London).

She focused on her more recent research agenda on a renewed reading and conceptualization of dependency approaches based on the study of bioeconomy as a policy agenda in South America. She addressed the contributions of Latin America to International Relations based on her recently published book “Latin America in Global International Relations” (Routledge, 2022), edited with Amitav Acharya (American University) and Diana Tussie (FLACSO Argentina).

The Stakeholder Workshop on Argentine Bioeconomy took place on July 28th and gathered a diverse group of around 40 professionals from different backgrounds and disciplines. Its main goal was to obtain insights into the status and future developments of the Argentine Bioeconomy. It was moderated by Melisa Deciancio (Uni Münster) and Pablo Mac Clay (Uni Bonn).

Assuming that the bioeconomy is a broad concept, the discussion was organized based on bioeconomy definitions from the European Commission and ECLAC, including biotechnological trajectories and local initiatives built upon socio-ecological systems. The discussion was organized in two main blocks: (1) knowledge and skills for the bioeconomy and (2) social and environmental sustainability of the bioeconomy. This workshop was an excellent opportunity for SABio researchers to interact with Argentine stakeholders and understand more on challenges and opportunities for developing the bioeconomy in the country.