Factsheet Circular bioeconomy: valorisation of forest by-products
This factsheet presents the main outcomes of the EU CAP Network workshop 'Circular bioeconomy - valorisation of forest by-products' at a glance.
- Programming period: 2023-2027
- Socio-economic impacts
The development of high-value products derived from forest by-products is diverse yet underdeveloped, with emerging products, variable feedstocks and fragmented stakeholder involvement. This calls for tailored solutions across Europe to realise the potential of Europe’s forest-based circular bioeconomy.
The EU CAP Network workshop 'Circular bioeconomy - valorisation of forest by-products' explored innovations that support the development of value chains for high-value products derived from forest waste and residues. The aim was to support robust value chains that facilitate a fair distribution of benefits to rural communities and foster a more effective circular bioeconomy in forestry.
Participants emphasised that numerous challenges must be addressed along the value chain, such as raw material shortages and fragmented forest ownership, technical limitations including poor product performance and logistics, weak coordination among stakeholders, low consumer uptake and cultural resistance to change.
Several practical solutions were proposed, including support for grassroots innovation and business, the creation of digital platforms for project coordination and knowledge flow, and education campaigns to shift consumer behaviour.
Across all discussions, five key messages came to the fore:
- empowering bottom-up engagement
- the necessity of context-specific strategies
- coordinating long-term planning strategies
- integrating digital and green transitions
- engaging youth through education for a resilient circular bioeconomy
Some examples of research needs include:
- improved advisory systems for forest by-product valorisation in support of the circular bioeconomy
- improving the visibility and coordination of circular bioeconomy projects in forestry
- enhancing the technical performance and durability of bio-based products for industrial uptake
- applicable and measurable mechanisms to integrate ecosystem services into forest-based circular bioeconomy models and ensure fair rewards for forest ecosystem services
- identify successful community-driven innovations, assess their replicability, and develop support frameworks
- co-develop youth-centric outreach programmes, curricula, and communication strategies to promote bioeconomy career paths and green entrepreneurship
Author(s)
EU CAP Network