8.4 Bioeconomy

The bioeconomy encompasses sectors that conserve, use, process, distribute or consume biological resources from land and sea. It is an approach focused on sustainability and circularity from innovative high value biobased products required for daily lives. The bioeconomy integrates with agriculture, horticulture, forestry, food processing and organic waste sectors and land and marine ecosystems. Bioeconomy policies enable the development of bio-based material (food, fibre, bio-based chemicals and materials, energy) in tandem with non-material products and services (clean air and water, biodiversity, climate mitigation and adaptation, recreation).

The value added of the Irish bioeconomy totalled €17.2 billion and the turnover amounted to €55.2 billion in 2020. Agriculture, food and beverages are the largest sectors in the bioeconomy. The number of people employed in the bioeconomy was 188,200.

Bioeconomy Policy Coordination and Consultation The National Policy Statement on the Bioeconomy published in 2018 set out a vision, common principles, strategic objectives, and an implementation framework to develop the bioeconomy across relevant sectors. The high-level Bioeconomy Implementation Group (BIG) jointly chaired by DAFM and DCCE met three times in 2022 providing a coordination structure bringing together Departments and Agencies on a planned and regular basis. To further progress bioeconomy development, a Bioeconomy Action Plan Consultation and Discussion Document was issued in late 2022 to gather stakeholder feedback to inform aspects of the Action Plan, ensuring it is effective and achievable.

The bioeconomy forum, chaired by John Malone, met three times in 2022 providing a consultative approach to bioeconomy policy development. The chairperson and the forum secretariat held numerous bilateral meetings and three workshops with the forum members on bioeconomy and education, training & skills, regulation, funding and finance. The forum also undertook a site visit to examine the ‘bioeconomy in action’ through the development of a climate neutral farm, Farm Zero C. The forum chairperson provided a report to the Bioeconomy Implementation Group in Q2 2022, reflecting the feedback received based on the first year of the forums two-year term and feeding into the generation of the Bioeconomy Action Plan.

Bioeconomy Research The annual Bioeconomy Ireland Week took place during October 2022 and this was launched at DAFM’s Backweston Campus, with over 118 delegates from across Ireland’s bioeconomy in attendance. The launch event involved a Bioeconomy Research Symposium that highlighted the investment of €25 million by DAFM in research supporting the development of Ireland’s bioeconomy. The main output of the event was a DAFM Bioeconomy Research Symposium Poster Booklet identifying all the research projects.

DAFM offered national co-funding opportunities for the bioeconomy under the Policy and Strategic Studies Research Call (PSSRC), the US-Ireland Programme and the SEAI RDD Programme in 2022. In addition, DAFM also continued to promote and support Irish participation in the EU funded Circular Biobased Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU). This involved hosting an online event in conjunction with InterTrade Ireland and Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs of Northern Ireland while also supporting initial development of North/South proposals under the CBE JU call. One coordinated application was supported and overall, Ireland successfully drew down approximately €3 million in the 2022 call.

Bioeconomy Piloting and Demonstration In February 2023 DAFM announced a €3 million investment in an integrated anaerobic digestion and green biorefining demonstration initiative. The funding was jointly awarded to University College Dublin (UCD) and Munster Technological University (MTU) for the further development of climate neutral farming as part of the Farm Zero Carbon research project currently being undertaken on the Shinagh Estates Demonstration Farm in West Cork.

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Bioeconomy Communication The Bioeconomy Implementation Group also coordinated Bioeconomy Ireland Week in October 2022, which saw a series of online events involving a range of partners such as Teagasc, BiOrbic Bioeconomy Research Centre, Munster Technological University, Shannon ABC, the Circular Bioeconomy Cluster Southwest and the Irish Bioeconomy Foundation.

Outlook The bioeconomy offers a holistic approach for cross-sectoral climate policy and action that complements current sectoral approaches to climate action. A Bioeconomy Action Plan will be launched in the second half of 2023 setting out new pillars for bioeconomy development and key priorities that will catalyse action inside and outside of government to advance the Irish bioeconomy.

Bioeconomy piloting and demonstration will also be supported through the EU Just Transition Fund. Bioeconomy Research will be supported through a range of funders including through the DAFM Thematic Research Call.

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