Results

Policy Brief January 23: Wood in Focus

policy brief aufmacher bild — Bild: Uni Kassel

Innovation in the use of wood can support Germany’s transition to the bioeconomy (high and low tech, business model and social innovation). Footprints provide a complementary monitoring tool to ensure that the innovative potentials can be met, without exacerbating the risks (rebounds, conflicting incentives and forest loss and degradation). To achieve the value-added vision of the circular bioeconomy, seven key messages and measures are presented. Contact: Meghan Beck O’Brien University of Kassel E-Mail: meghan.beck-obrien[at]uni-kassel[dot]de

Food or Fuel, Feed or Fibre: The Competition over Biomass

Food security must take precedent over energy security. The largest use of agricultural land, globally and within Germany, is for feed. Germany uses three times more land (51 Mha) to supply its consumption of agricultural products than available for agriculture within the country (17 Mha). Healthy diets–with less meat and dairy–could reduce Germany’s agricultural footprint by 43%. Eliminating waste and using biomass more efficiently and effectively are crucial to achieving an innovative, sustainable and circular bioeconomy. Only available in German.

AUTHORS: Verena Pommerenke, Hanna Helander, Meghan Beck-O‘Brien, Stefan Bringezu

The pilot report about the German bioeconomy is now available in English
This report assesses the main characteristics and trends of the German ‘bio-based economy’ in order to identify current problems, future chances and the needs for a sustainable bioeconomy. It includes global impacts of the German bioeconomy transition. The report is available here.

A new publication Germany’s Agricultural Land Footprint and the impact of Import Pattern Allocation is available. Abstract.

A discussion paper about Results from a Stakeholder Survey on Bioeconomy Monitoring and Preceptions on Bioeconomy in Germany is available. Kontakt: Walter Zeug, UFZ

The environmental and socioeconomic footprints of the German bioeconomy have been studied in historical and prospective time series, and in comparison with global values.
Stefan Bringezu, Martin Distelkamp, Christian Lutz, Florian Wimmer, Rüdiger Schaldach, Klaus Josef Hennenberg, Hannes Böttcher & Vincent Egenolf (2021): Environmental and socioeconomic footprints of the German bioeconomy. Nature Sustainability

Publications from WP 6.3 Remote Sensing of land use change
The use of satellite images as part of remote sensing provides an innovative method for detecting land use change (LUC) caused by intensification of agriculture as part of the German bio-based economy in the future. LUC is a main driver for biodiversity losses and the reduction of other ecosystem services of agricultural systems.
Kyere I., Astor T., Graß R., Wachendorf M. (2019): Multi-temporal Agricultural Land-Cover Mapping Using Single-Year and Multi-Year Models Based on Landsat Imagery and IACS Data. Agronomy 2019, 9 (6), 30
Kyere I., Astor T. Graß R., Wachendorf M. (2020): Agricultural crop discrimination in a heterogeneous low-mountain range region based on multi-temporal and multi-sensor satellite data. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture 179, 2020, ISSN 0168-1699
Kyere I., Astor T., Graß R., Fricke T., Wachendorf M. (2021): Spatio-temporal analysis of the effects of biogas production on agricultural lands. Land Use Policy 2021, 102, 105240

Report Empfehlungen zu Methodik und Daten auf Grundlage der Erfahrung aus Ökobilanzen is available. Contact: Horst Fehrenbach

The results of the stakeholder workshop of January 2020 are available here. They have already been considered in the pilot report.

Pilot Monitoring Report the German Bioeconomy
The pilot report provides a first overview on essential traits and trends of the German bio-based economy in the national and international context. It has been coordinated within the SYMOBIO project by Kassel University (CESR) in cooperation with the Tünen Institute.
The report including an Executive Summary is available in German: doi:10.17170/kobra-202005131255

Which laws form the legal framework of the bioeconomy? And how does this legal framework affect the bioeconomy? In response to these questions, we have prepared a working paper which presents and discusses legal drivers of the bioeconomy in the sectors energy, construction, wood, bioplastic-materials and waste. Furthermore, five Fact Sheets visualize the legislative analysis for each sector.