Bioeconomy in Africa and in the EU
A comparative analysis of African and European bioeconomy strategies
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21704580 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Lena Riemann (University of Freiburg, corresponding author), Nicolas Spohn, Sarah Schmitt (0000-0001-6593-4152), Maria Enow Ayuk, Daniel Cordova (0000-0002-0936-3110), Daniel A Cordova-Pineda, Michael Böcher (0000-0002-1838-9144), Daniela Kleinschmit (0000-0001-9441-5650, University of Freiburg) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 190 |
| Pages | 103857 |
| Publication date | 2026-09-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Forest Policy and Economics (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1389-9341 • E-ISSN: 1872-7050 |
| Publisher | Elsevier BV (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.forpol.2026.103857 |
| OpenAlex | W4413315915 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 95 |
The concept of the bioeconomy originated in OECD countries and has predominantly been shaped by technology-driven narratives that prioritize innovation and economic growth. Existing research has largely focused on Europe and North America, leaving other regions, particularly in the Global South, underexplored. This paper investigates whether bioeconomy policies in selected African countries reflect diffusion from dominant European models or offer divergent approaches. Using a comparative case study design, the analysis examines bioeconomy strategies at both regional (EU and East African Community) and national levels (Germany, Finland, and South Africa). Drawing on discourse analysis, the study reconstructs the political narratives embedded in the respective strategies. Findings suggest limited evidence of strong policy diffusion. While all cases emphasize bio-based economic growth potential, strategic priorities diverge significantly due to differing socio-economic contexts, historical path dependencies, and resource endowments. The results point to a form of unilateral policy shopping, where selected elements are voluntarily adapted to local conditions. These insights underscore the importance of fostering mutual, context-sensitive learning between countries, particularly in light of the global challenges that bioeconomy strategies aim to address
Geography · Political science · Regional science · Bioeconomy and Sustainability Development · Biotechnology and Related Fields
Sustainable Capital? The Neoliberalization of Nature and Knowledge in the European “Knowledge-based Bio-economy”
The role of biomass and bioenergy in a future bioeconomy
The Bioeconomy in Europe
Visions of Sustainability in Bioeconomy Research
Sustainable development – A ‘selling point’ of the emerging EU bioeconomy policy framework?
Bioeconomy – an emerging meta-discourse affecting forest discourses?
Transition to the Fourth Industrial Revolution
Going beyond definitions to understand tensions within the bioeconomy
The promises of drop-in vs. functional innovations
Green Sacrifice Zones, or Why a Green New Deal Cannot Ignore the Cost Shifts of Just Transitions
Social sustainability in the forest-based bioeconomy
Technology-based comparative life cycle assessment for palm oil industry
Global patterns of socioeconomic biomass flows in the year 2000
Who Learns What from Whom
EU agri-innovation policy
The making of sustainability
Understanding the bioeconomy through its instruments
Threatened sustainability
Avoiding legality
Discourses in Finnish forest policy
Harnessing the full potential of a global forest-based bioeconomy through non-timber products
Finnish forest policy in the era of bioeconomy
Do forest biorefineries fit with working principles of a circular bioeconomy? A case of Finnish and Swedish initiatives
Is Green Growth Possible
Impact of the EU biodiversity strategy for 2030 on the EU wood-based bioeconomy
The Hijacking of the Bioeconomy
On the Circular Bioeconomy and Decoupling
The bioeconomy in Germany
Born to transform? German bioeconomy policy and research projects for transformations towards sustainability
Formalization of the Natural Product Trade in Southern Africa
Agrarian livelihoods under siege
Redd+, hype, hope and disappointment
The SDGs and the bio-economy
Forest bioeconomy in the media discourse in Spain
Exploring criteria for transformative policy capacity in the context of South Africa’s biodiversity economy
Bioeconomy governance in the global South
When the birds sing. A framework for analysing domestic factors behind policy convergence
Learning from Abroad
The Green Economy in South Africa
Whose transformation is this? Unpacking the ‘apparatus of capture’ in Sweden's bioeconomy
Envisioning just transformations in and beyond the EU bioeconomy
Policy Paradigms, Social Learning, and the State
The Bioeconomy as Political Project
Bioprospecting the African Renaissance
Policy Diffusion and Directionality
Oil Cities in Africa
Assembling 'the bioeconomy
Framing Processes and Social Movements
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |