Unesco, the Inspire Institutethe firm Agro-strategies and Foresighttogether with about 20 partners, have chosen to question the bioeconomy the December 12 and 13.
Making plastic from agricultural waste, using beets to make tires, producing biofuel from algae, ... these are the challenges of the bio-economy that is reconfiguring our production methods from biomass at very high speed. This green chemistry based on the use of renewable carbon is gaining momentum at a time when we need to get out of our dependence on oil. It proposes relying on living organisms to meet the urgent demographic, energy, environmental and climate challenges.
Already, with a turnover of €2 trillion, the bio-economy provides 22 million jobs in Europe in sectors as diverse as agriculture, forestry, fisheries, food, chemicals and biofuels. (1). It is the subject of major investments and strategic roadmaps by the OECD, the United States (National Bioeconomy Blueprint) and Europe, which has just put €3.8 billion on the table to strengthen public-private partnerships.
Green capitalism or economic change integrating the logic of living things?
The prospects for this "bio-based" industry are questionable. Is it simply the transition from a fossil-based economy to one based on biological resources, without concern for uses and regeneration? Or do the players intend to rethink together and in depth a new post-carbon economy? Do we want to continue the current economic growth that leads to resource scarcity, or do we want to explore a new, lively, circular and waste-free approach? How can we succeed in reconciling food production and industrial or energy outlets? How can we prevent this bio-economy from encouraging land grabbing in countries already stricken by famine?
UNESCO, the Inspire Institute and the Agrostrategies and Foresight Cabinet propose to put these topics up for debate with experts and stakeholders. December 12 and 13, 2013, they bring together industrialists, economists and scientists involved in the flagship programmes:
- The European public-private consortium (PPP) or "biobased initiative" which supports the development of demonstrators and industrial units (investment 3.8 billion euros).
- The European project Eurobioref which involves 30 partners from 15 countries with a budget of 23 million euros.
- The PIVERT project(Picardie Innovations Végétales Enseignements et Recherches Technologiques), is part of the "Investments for the future", with a budget of 220 million euros over 10 years.
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And in France:
- The Biobutterfly project, led by Michelin, l’ADEME and Axens(group company IFP Energies nouvelles) aims to create a new synthetic rubber production chain.
– Toulouse White Biotech (TWB) is a pre-industrial demonstrator that designs and builds biological tools (enzymes, microorganisms, microbial consortia...) opening up new ways of producing chemical molecules (synthons), biopolymers, biomaterials, biofuels based on the use of renewable carbon.
Its financing through investments in the future amounts to 20 million euros.
The ASSISTS OF THE LIVING will alternate presentations, round tables, debates and workshops in order to share experiences and initiatives, to confront conflicts of use (food, energy, plastic, etc.),. They will be an opportunity to think together about a liveable world, to rediscover the foundations of an economy that is not above ground but adapted to the productive reality of the living world, because in the words of René Passet "The bioeconomy is neither a particular discipline of economics nor a particular branch of the economy, but the economy as a whole.
Among the stakeholders :
– René Passet, author of L'Économique et le vivant, former vice-president ofATTAC,
– Emmanuel DelannoyDirector of theInspire Institute,
– Jacques Webereconomist and anthropologist, member of theFrench Academy of Agriculture and the Economic Council for Sustainable Development,
– Gilles BeefPresident, President of the National Museum of Natural History,
– Luc Guyaus, former Chair of the FAO,
– Henri de Pazzisfounder of Pronatura,
– Chantal Jouannoformer Secretary of State for Ecology and Senator of Paris,
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– Christophe Rupp-Dahlem, President of theAssociation of Plant Chemistryand director of innovation programmes in vegetal-based chemistry at Roquette Frères,
– Benki, leader of the Ashaninka people (Peru, Brazil),
– John Crowley...philosopher, humanities section, UNESCO,
– Richard MariettaPresident of Nature and Progress,
– Cyria Emelianoff, specialist in urban spaces in University of Maine,
– Jean-Marc Petatof BASF France.
Free entry on registration : - Maud Le Guével : maud.leguevel[at]inspire-institut.org - 06 63 48 19 04
Contacts :
- Dorothée Benoit-Browaeys: d.browaeys[at]agros-prospectives-et-strategies.com - 06 14 01 76 74
- Maud Le Guével : maud.leguevel[at]inspire-institut.org - 06 63 48 19 04
- Louise Browaeys: louise.browaeys[at]gmail.com
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(1 ) COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT, Accompanying the document 'Communication on Innovating for Sustainable Growth: A Bioeconomy for Europe'.
http://ec.europa.eu/research/bioeconomy/pdf/201202_commision_staff_working.pdf
