The Business of Nature

The commission has now decided that EU citizens need to know more about the bioeconomy. To do that, it is willing to spend up to €2 million on a project that should bring bioeconomy research and innovation closer to the public. The project, called Bloom, will establish five regional hubs to "create a space of knowledge exchange and debate".

Eurosceptics may dismiss it as a waste of taxpayers' money on propagating a buzzword, but others may applaud the effort to increase awareness of new environmental scientific ventures.

For the record, this is how the European Commission describes the bioeconomy: "The bioeconomy comprises those parts of the economy that use renewable biological resources from land and sea – such as crops, forests, fish, animals and micro-organisms – to produce food, materials and energy."

And so whilst 'bioeconomy' itself may be a buzzword, the activities that comprise it are very real. Later this year, the commission will present a review of its bioeconomy strategy, so this third edition of EUobserver's Business magazine is very timely.

We take you along a tour of various sectors of the bioeconomy, including Europe's pig farmers and Finland's forest-based industries. You will also learn about the carbon footprint of death and whiskey-based fish food.

Happy reading!

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