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Bioeconomy for Sustainable Food and Agriculture

Data & Knowledge

Data, information and knowledge are essential to understanding the scale, trade-offs and potential of bioeconomy for sustainable agrifood systems. 

FAO supports countries and works with partners to develop frameworks, tools and knowledge resources to strengthen decision-making, support sustainability monitoring and turn bioeconomy strategies into practical action, while ensuring that resources are accessible to different audiences. This includes support for data collection, policy development, and access to good practices and technical guidance. 

Understand: Map opportunities, risks and sustainability objectives

FAO supports countries in assessing bioeconomy potential, sustainability objectives, governance approaches and sector priorities through global studies, dashboards, and analytical tools.

Design: Develop strategies, governance systems and action plans.

FAO helps governments translate sustainability goals into practical bioeconomy strategies through participatory governance approaches, policy guidance, and implementation tools.

Monitor: Track environmental, social and economic impacts.

FAO facilitates the development of sustainability frameworks and monitoring frameworks that help countries monitor environmental, social, economic and governance dimensions of bioeconomy development.

Develop capacity & share knowledge

FAO supports countries in developing and implementing bioeconomy strategies through training, technical assistance, and peer learning, connecting institutions across regions to exchange good practices and build lasting systems.

Supporting tools

Metrics and Indicators Working Group (WG-Metrics)

FAO leads the Metrics and Indicators Working Group of the Bioeconomy Challenge, launched as part of the UNFCCC COP30 Action Agenda. Bringing together around 40 organisations to develop a harmonised framework for measuring and monitoring sustainable bioeconomy development globally, the group aims to advance towards a core set of bioeconomy indicators that countries can adopt and expand according to their national contexts, reducing data burdens, and improving comparability across monitoring systems. Technical work is conducted on indicator mapping and prioritization and pilot countries. 

Indicators for Sustainable Bioeconomy

An inventory and prioritization approach designed to help countries and stakeholders select indicators that reflect national priorities while maintaining international comparability. The publication brings together around 3,000 indicators drawn from 38 international sources, from certification schemes to ESG frameworks, and proposes a six-step method for selecting them according to national priorities. It was developed with CIFOR-ICRAF in support of the South African G20 Presidency and its Global Initiative on Bioeconomy.

Bioeconomy Strategies Toolbox

A practical guide supporting governments and stakeholders in developing sustainable bioeconomy strategies. Proposes a four-step pathway with twelve sub-steps that guide in establishing governance, designing a strategy, implementing actions, and monitoring progress.

Bioeconomy Strategies Dashboard

An interactive dashboard developed by FAO to map national and multi-country bioeconomy strategies and track how countries are integrating bioeconomy into their climate, biodiversity and food systems plans.

Aspirational Principles & Criteria for a Sustainable Bioeconomy

A global sustainability framework developed by FAO and partners to support the monitoring and assessment of bioeconomy development across environmental, social, economic and governance dimensions. The framework includes 10 principles and 24 criteria aligned with the SDGs.