Bioproducts

Natural fibres & textiles

Banana stems, coconut husks, natural dyes: turning crop waste into fabric.

Cosmetics & medicines

Plant extracts, essential oils, devil's claw: nature's chemistry on shelves worldwide.

Bioinputs

Bio-based fertilizers, biopesticides and biostimulants: replacing synthetic agrochemicals.

Alternative proteins

Insects, algae, fermentation-derived proteins: diversifying what we eat.

These products share a common logic: using what nature already grows to replace fossil-sourced materials. From the fibres in our clothes to the inputs on our farms, bio-based alternatives are opening new value chains for rural communities while reducing the environmental footprint of agrifood systems. That substitution is one of the most direct ways bioeconomy generates income, protects biodiversity, improves waste management, and reduces dependence on harmful chemicals.

FAO'S WORK

FAO supports bio-based value chains from field to market: high-value forest fruits and altiplano-grown quinoa in Bolivia, banana fibre production in Pakistan, valorization of medicinal plants in Namibia, policy guidance on bioinputs. FAO produces knowledge resources on natural fibres, plant extracts, and sustainable nitrogen management to help countries develop their own bioproduct sectors and reduce the environmental costs of conventional inputs.

Bioeconomy for Sustainable Food and Agriculture