Environmental Impacts of the Bioeconomy: A Systematic Review of Variables, Methods, Sectors and Policy Relevance

Identifier:  imarina:9596588

Handle: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11797/imarina9596588

Authors:  Coca J; Ferreira V; Pié L

Abstract:
The bioeconomy has become a component of sustainability strategies addressing climate change, resource scarcity and economic transformation. Despite a growing body of literature, evidence on the environmental impacts of the bioeconomy remains fragmented, heterogeneous and distributed across sectors and regions. This paper provides a systematic literature review of 432 peer-reviewed studies analysing the environmental dimensions of the bioeconomy, with attention to how environmental impacts are measured, and linked to economic and social outcomes. Articles published up to September 2023 were reviewed and analysed. The results show a rapid expansion of research over the past decade, strongly concentrated in Europe and a limited number of data-rich regions. Greenhouse gas emissions and land use emerge as the most frequently analysed environmental variables, while innovative sectors such as bioenergy and bioplastics dominate emission-related studies and traditional sectors such as agriculture and forestry prevail in land-use analyses. The review demonstrates that methodological and data choices, particularly life-cycle assessment, input-output and computable general equilibrium models, play a decisive role in how environmental impacts are evaluated and interpreted. Although environmental impacts are the primary focus, most studies combine environmental analysis with economic and, to a lesser extent, social dimensions, revealing both synergies and persistent trade-offs. Overall, the findings highlight that the bioeconomy is widely associated with decarbonisation and green growth, although land-based strategies remain linked to environmental trade-offs. These results underline the need for more integrated analytical approaches, data coverage and governance frameworks that balance bioeconomic development with environmental and social sustainability.