Description

This project aims to update key tenets of the 2019 sustainability indicators publication with action-oriented and regionally-inclusive evidence and recommendations, thereby contributing to FAO’s normative, policy and scientific work on bioeconomy for sustainable food and agriculture. The shift to a bioeconomy demands technological, organizational and social innovations. Agrifood systems play a crucial role in this transition, being central to sustainable production and consumption. Existing bioeconomy policies and practices often lack integrated consideration of social, economic, environmental, and governance goals.

In 2019, FAO released a comprehensive review of sustainability indicators to assist countries and stakeholders in developing and monitoring sustainable bioeconomy and assessing the sustainability of bioeconomy practices and products. The review assessed indicators at the territorial level, including bioeconomy-relevant SDG indicators, alongside indicators at the product/value chain level, including indicators used for standards, certificates, and labels. In 2021,

FAO’s “Aspirational Principles and Criteria for a Sustainable Bioeconomy” were released with the aim to facilitate such a holistic approach. Of course, translating them into effective bioeconomy policies and practices that balance potential trade-offs requires a context-specific approach.