The pandemic caused by the SARS-COV2 virus has made it more evident that the models of economic development need to be rethought with a greater focus on sustainability and respect for the environment.
A major role is played by the Bioeconomy, a system that uses biological resources from land and sea and waste materials as inputs for food, industrial manufacturing and energy: its strong links to the land, its ability to create multidisciplinary value chains integrated within local areas and to return key nutrients to the soil, thanks to its circular nature, make it one of the pillars of the Green New Deal launched by the European Union.
The intention behind the Report on the Bioeconomy in Europe, published by Assobiotec and Intesa Sanpaolo, is to continue to monitor activities linked to the Bioeconomy, by keeping in mind its systemic and value-chain-based nature, the importance of lockdown phases at the end of the cycle, the contribution made by technological innovation and the crucial role that can be played by public stakeholders, especially in local contexts.
Based on our estimates, the value of Bioeconomy production in 2018 grew by more than 7 billion euros with respect to 2017 (+2.2%), thanks to the positive contribution of the majority of the sectors considered and in particular of those linked to the agrifood chain.
A comparison at European level shows that Italy ranks third in terms of production value, after Germany (414 billion euros) and France (359 billion euros) and followed by Spain (237 billion euros), the United Kingdom (223 billion euros), and finally Poland (133 billion euros).
Italy also ranks third in terms of the number of persons employed in the Bioeconomy, with just over 2 million employed, behind Poland, which employs 2.5 million people (mainly in the agricultural sector) and Germany (2.1 million persons employed). France is in fourth position (1.8 million employed), followed by Spain (1.6 million employed) and the United Kingdom (1.2 million employed).
For more information: BIOECONOMY IN EUROPE - 6th edition