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FAO participated in the fourth Global Bioeconomy Summit (GBS) in Nairobi on 23-24 October 2024, the first hosted on the African continent, and joined forces with partners highlighting multiple areas of bioeconomy for food and agriculture, which could benefit the inclusive and equitable implementation of sustainable bioeconomy globally, including the establishment of a multistakeholder global bioeconomy partnership for sustainable agrifood systems.

FAO presence at the Summit

Building on the international momentum on bioeconomy, driven by the G20 Initiative on Bioeconomy (GIB) under the Brazilian presidency, and the recent developments in FAO Governing Bodies, the GBS 2024 has provided a space for continuing discussion on the role of bioeconomy and the importance of establishing a multistakeholder global bioeconomy partnership for sustainable food and agriculture.

FAO was at the forefront of the discussions at the Summit, with the FAO's team coming from the Office of Climate Change, Biodiversity and Environment, the Forestry Division, the World Food Forum, the Joint FAO/IAEA Centre (Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture), and the FAO's Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific.

FAO organised a workshop on the role of youth in bioeconomy entitled “Intergenerational dialogue on bridging youth visions with global policies on bioeconomy” and another workshop on forest-based bioeconomy “Contribution of forest products to sustainable bioeconomy in Africa".

During the youth workshop co-organized with IACGB Bioeconomy Youth Champions, EU Bioeconomy Youth Ambassadors and World Food Forum, the youth representatives stressed that empowering youth is crucial for the success of achieving an inclusive global bioeconomy. They produced a Call to Action that revolves around three points: empowering youth through education and inclusive policies that bridge critical skills gaps; increased investments in infrastructure and resources that support youth-led initiatives in bioeconomy; and promoting national, regional & global collaboration and innovation in bioeconomy through partnerships and technology transfer. Read the IACGB Youth Communiqué at the GBS 2024 here.

FAO was also involved in discussions to strengthen public private partnerships for industrialization of rural areas (in collaboration with the Bio-based Industries Consortium/BIC), where again the need for a global partnership was underscored. FAO also spoke at a workshop on the regionalisation of bioeconomy (in collaboration with Forschungszentrum Juelich) and presented its work on indicators and metrics for sustainable bioeconomy (in collaboration with UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, UN-ECLAC).

The need for a global bioeconomy partnership for sustainable food and agriculture

FAO, with support from the Canadian government, organized a High-Level Lunch at the Summit. During the event, H.E. Claudia Müller, Parliamentary State Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Food & Agriculture of Germany (BMEL), emphasized that sustainable agriculture, forest management, and aquaculture & fisheries are cornerstones for a truly sustainable global bioeconomy. H.E. Müller acknowledged the rich diversity of bioeconomy visions and approaches among countries and regions, as well as varying financial capabilities. She emphasized the importance of global knowledge sharing and multilateral cooperation in shaping a sustainable bioeconomy.

In his welcoming remarks, IACGB Co-Chair Mr. Julius Ecuru highlighted three priority areas for continued discussion within the framework of global bioeconomy partnership: policy support, especially in bioeconomy strategy development; measurement and standards; and exploring practical projects such as alternative proteins and bio-inputs that improve plant growth and enhance soil health, as well as agro-processing, food safety, and trade in value-added agricultural commodities.

Prof. Joachim von Braun of the University of Bonn and former IACGB Co-Chair stressed the importance of incorporating the bioeconomy agenda into both climate and biodiversity finance discussions. He emphasized FAO's potential key role in bridging discussions at COP 16 and COP 29, as well as the upcoming UN Food Systems Summit Stocktaking Moment in 2025 (UNFSS+4). Prof. von Braun also noted bioeconomy will only thrive with the inclusion of indigenous and local knowledge, especially from women in rural areas. Drawing from Germany's example, he pointed out that high-level support, bottom-up processes, and an independent bioeconomy council bringing in knowledge, science, and evidence are necessary for sustainable bioeconomy to flourish in each country.

In his remarks, Mr. Lev Neretin, Environment Lead at FAO, highlighted the importance of global cooperation and coordination in advancing bioeconomy. He underscored that "Bioeconomy offers a pathway to a more equitable, low-carbon and climate-resilient economy. But to achieve this, it requires a concerted effort that transcends national boundaries and leverages the strengths of multilateral cooperation." Multilateralism enables countries to pool resources, share knowledge, and align policies. He added that it plays an indispensable role in facilitating dialogue among diverse stakeholders, ensuring all voices are heard and bioeconomy solutions are tailored to meet the unique needs of different regions.

Way Forward

The diverse national approaches to bioeconomy present both risks and opportunities. Bioeconomy offers a unique opportunity to drive transformation but should integrate just transition principles, ensuring participation of diverse groups and creating improved opportunities for all segments of society, especially small-scale producers, Indigenous Peoples, women, and youth. It should address historical imbalances and avoid creating new inequalities. Fostering a bioeconomy requires a systems-based approach that integrates sustainable production and consumption of food, fodder, fiber, and fuel while addressing global environmental challenges and socio-economic equity. Success will depend on multistakeholder partnerships and policy coordination to provide the right incentives and ensure scalable solutions.

As Ireland prepares to host the next Global Bioeconomy Summit in 2026, FAO, with its strategic priority program on bioeconomy for sustainable food and agriculture, is ideally positioned to play an important role in bioeconomy discussions building upon its comparative advantages working across agricultural sectors to improve data, promote policy coherence, and scale up technical support, capacity development, and investments for the benefit of its Members, to advance sustainable bioeconomy practices across agrifood systems.

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About the Global Bioeconomy Summit 2024

The Global Bioeconomy Summit (GBS) is the leading global conference and platform for exchange and discussion of recent developments for a sustainable and circular bioeconomy worldwide. The Summit was first held in Germany in 2015, as a follow-up to the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA), which addressed the topic of bioeconomy that year. It has been organised biennially since then. For the first time this year it was held outside of Germany and Europe under the theme “One Planet - Sustainable Bioeconomy Solutions for Global Challenges".

GBS 2024 was organised by the International Advisory Council on Global Bioeconomy (IACGB) together with the East African hosting partners: the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology/BioInnovate Africa, the East Africa Science and Technology Commision (EASTECO), and the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI).

This year, the Summit brought together over 500 policymakers, industry leaders and academic experts from around the globe and discussed sustainable bioeconomy as the key in the global transition to less fossil fuel dependency, rural development and urban green economies, while building resilient agrifood systems, reversing biodiversity loss and using bio-innovations as driver for new economic opportunities, especially job creation for the youth.

Read the IACGB Communiqué at the GBS 2024 here.

Read FAO two most recent publications on bioeconomy:

Bioeconomy for sustainable food and agriculture: a global stocktaking study

Bioeconomy for sustainable food and agriculture: a global opportunity (Position paper for G20)

21/11/2024