Challenges in Building a Sustainable Biobased Economy

Moving to a more sustainable economy, where renewable biomass such as crop residues and dedicated energy crops are used for the production of fuels, chemicals, energy and materials, is one of the main challenges faced by the society nowadays. The transition from the current fossil-based to a biobased economy is justified for several reasons, including environmental concerns like climate change and environmental pollution, poverty, the increased consumption of petro-based resources as a consequence of the population growth, and the finite nature of oil resources. Expanding the resource basis for the production of fuels, chemicals, energy and materials is therefore recognized as a need by numerous industries and policy makers in countries around the world. In addition, a biobased economy has the potential to generate new jobs and even new industries, creating new opportunities for entrepreneurship and technological innovation, with further benefits to the global economy and the society.