Indicators and tools for assessing sustainability impacts of the forest bioeconomy

The sustainable use of renewable resources has become an important issue worldwide in the move towards a less fossil-fuel-intensive future.Mainstream method for fulfilling this aim is to increase the share of renewable energy and materials to substitute fossil fuels and to become fully independent from fossil fuels over the long-term.However, the environmental sustainability of this endeavor has been questioned.In addition,economic and social sustainability issues are also much debated topics in this particular context.Forest resources are often thought to contribute partially to achieving a so-called ＂carbon-neutral society＂.In this review, we discuss sustainability issues of using forest biomass.We present several sustainability indicators for ecological,economic and social dimensions and discuss the issues in applying them in sustainability impact assessments（SIAs）.We also present a number of tools and methods previously used in conducting SIAs.We approach our study from the perspective of the Finnish forestry; in addition, various aspects regarding the application of SIAs in a broader context are also presented.One of the key conclusions of the study is that although sufficient data are available to measure many indicators accurately, the impacts may be very difficult to assess（e.g.impact of greenhouse gases on biodiversity） for conducting a holistic SIA.Furthermore, some indicators, such as ＂biodiversity＂, are difficult to quantify in the first place.Therefore, a mix of different methods, such as Multi-criteria Assessment, Life-cycle Assessment or Cost-Benefit Analysis, as well as different approaches（e.g.thresholds and strong/weak sustainability） are needed in aggregating the results of the impacts.SIAs are important in supporting and improving the acceptability of decision-making, but a certain degree of uncertainty will always have to be tolerated.

Rice Husk at a Glance:From Agro-Industrial to Modern Applications

Excessive waste production has led to the concept of a circular bioeconomy to deliver valuable by-products and improve environmental sustainability.The annual worldwide rice production accounts for more than 750 million tons of grain and 150 million tons of husk.Rice husk(RH)contains valuable biomaterials with extensive applications in various fields.The proportions of each component depend primarily on rice genotype,soil chemistry,and climatic conditions.RH and its derivatives,including ash,biochar,hydrochar,and activated carbon have been placed foreground of applications in agriculture and other industries.While the investigation on RH’s compositions,microstructures,and by-products has been done copiously,owing to its unique features,it is still an open-ended area with enormous scope for innovation,research,and technology.Here,we reviewed the latest applications of RH and its derivatives,including fuel and other energy resources,construction materials,pharmacy,medicine,and nanobiotechnology to keep this versatile biomaterial in the spotlight.

Research and development in drug innovation: reflections from the 2013 bioeconomy conference in China, lessons learned and future perspectives

The enormous progress biotechnology,bioinformatics and nanotechnology made in recent years provides opportunities and scientific framework for development of biomedicine and constitutes a paradigm shift in pharmaceutical R&D and drug innovation.By analyzing the data and related information at R&D level over the past decades,developmental tendency and R&D patterns were summarized.We found that a growing number of biologics in the pipeline of pharma companies with successful products already in the market though,small molecular entities have primarily dominated drug innovation.Additionally,small/medium size companies will continue to play a key role in the development of small molecule drugs and biologics in a multi-channel integrated process.More importantly,modern and effective R&D strategies in biomedicine development to predict and evaluate efficacy and/or safety of 21st century therapeutics are urgently needed.To face new challenges,developmental strategies were proposed,in terms of molecular targeted medicine,generic drugs,new drug delivery system and protein-based drugs.Under the current circumstances,interdisciplinary cooperation mode and policy related to drug innovation in China were deeply discussed as well.

A critical review:emerging bioeconomy and waste-to-energy technologies for sustainable municipal solid waste management

Municipal solid waste(MSW)management has emerged as probably the most pressing issue many governments nowadays are facing.Traditionally,Waste-to-Energy(WtE)is mostly associated with incineration,but now,with the emergence of the bioeconomy,it embraces a broader definition comprising any processing technique that can generate electricity/heat or produce a waste-derived fuel.Under the ambit of the circular economy many nations are looking for,additional effort must be made to be sure of acquiring the most updated information and paving a sustainable path for managing MSW in such a frame.In this regard,we have undertaken a critical review of various technologies,with their updated progress,involved in the exploitation of MSW as a renewable resource,along with the critical advantages and limitations on energy and material cycling for sustainable MSW management.Incineration,the most widely used method,is nowadays difficult to further apply due to its dubious reputation and social opposition.Meanwhile,to address the organic fraction of MSW which currently is mostly unrecycled and causes disposal issues,the biological approach presents an attractive option.The new emphasis of bioeconomy leads us to understand how environmental biotechnologies should be better connected/integrated for more sustainable MSW management.This article is concluded with advances of future prospects,which can serve as a timely reminder to encourage competent authorities/researchers to work towards further improvement of the present MSW management system.

Second generation biorefining in Ecuador:Circular bioeconomy,zero waste technology,environment and sustainable development:The nexus

The projection of world population growth with concurrent generation of large volumes of agroindustrial waste that negatively affect the environment is of great concern.Therefore,this review article describes the nexus between concepts of Circular Bioeconomy,Zero Waste Technology,Sustainable Development,Biorefineries,and alternatives and research efforts to generate less environmental impact.A brief analysis of the Ecuadorian industry and exports is described,emphasizing the fact that,to improve the Ecuadorian trade balance,it is necessary to increase industrial competitiveness.It is important to have emerging technologies and innovation in order to promote the replacement of fossil-derived raw materials with renewable raw materials and develop more environmentally friendly processes and industries.This paper analyses the state of biomass research and its transformation in Ecuador,together with current pretreatment research on biomass to obtain bioproducts and biofuels in a biorefinery that promotes clean production for the extraction of phytochemicals using green solvents,such as deep eutectic solvents;and technologies to recover high-value added materials with enhanced properties.In conclusion,the need to develop technologies and markets to commercialize high value-added products coming from biorefineries is highlighted,as this will increase the income both in rural and urban areas and will strengthen the productivity and profitability of the Ecuadorian agroindustry.Our goal through this analysis is to improve Ecuador’s trade balance while also contributing to the circular bioeconomy that promotes sustainable development.

Bioenergy Perspectives in the EU Regions: Carbon Neutrality Pathway

Bioenergy plays an important role in the climate neutrality targets of the EU. However, the status of bioenergy implementation varies greatly across the EU. The aim of this paper is to assess the role of bioenergy in different EU countries using EU experts’ opinions of bioenergy implementation in their own country. The paper identifies leading and lagging countries in biomass development by focusing on the current share of bioenergy in the total energy supply. The study shows differences in bioenergy development between Southern and Western EU countries with Northern and Eastern EU countries. The anti-bioenergy movement and continuing political support for the fossil fuel industry are important barriers inhibiting biomass development in many EU countries, especially in Southern Europe and Western Europe. Our analysis finds that the EU needs more factual bioenergy information and improved promotion of bioenergy throughout society, especially in southern and western parts of the EU. Bioenergy development in the EU can be looked at optimistically, especially in Northern and Eastern Europe. The experience of societal acceptance of bioenergy in countries such as Finland and Sweden is applicable to countries that have thus far seen less progress in bioenergy implementation such as Poland and the Netherlands.

Microbial production of L-malate from renewable non-food feedstocks

L-malate is an intermediate of the tricarboxylic acid cycle which is naturally occurred in various microorganisms,and it has been widely applied in polymer,beverage and food,textile,agricultural and pharmaceutical industries.Driven by the pursuit of a sustainable economy,microbial production of L-malate has received much attention in last decades.In this review,we focus on the utilization of wastes and/or byproducts as feedstocks for the microbial production of L-malate.Firstly,we present the recent developments on the natural or engineered metabolic pathways that dedicate to the biosynthesis of L-malate,and also provide a comprehensive discussions on developing high-efficient producers.Then,the recent achievements in microbial production of L-malate from various carbon sources were concluded and discussed.Furthermore,some abundant non-food feedstocks which have been used for microbial production of other chemicals were reviewed,as they may be potential candidate feedstock for L-malate production in future.Finally,we outlined the major challenges and proposed further improvements for the production of L-malate.

Historical Perspective of Synthetic Biology in Food Production

Due to projections of population increase, which suggest that the world population will reach 8.6 billion people by 2030, as well as the reduction of existing natural resources, studies on food production technologies that minimize the impacts on the environment become relevant. In this context, with the creation of the first living organism controlled by a synthetic genome, since 2010, scientists from several countries study alternatives to produce energetic material and food through synthetic biology. Therefore, the present study sought to identify which the contributions, reflexes, trends and/or challenges of synthetic biology are in food production through a review of the literature. As results, it was noticed that there were significant advances in studies that seek forms of food production with the use of synthetic biology, as well as with technologies that reduce the use of natural resources and the impact of agricultural production on the environment. The topics of food safety, ethics and consumer perception, regarding the use of such technologies, are also emphasized. However, there is much to be studied on the subject, in particular, the need for experimental testing in different crops and processes due to food safety, and feasibility of the industrialization of such technologies.

Challenges facing the USA in matching Germany on advanced manufacturing for green growth

This study explores the relative strength of public policies promoting advanced manufacturing by comparing the government programs and capacities of two world leaders in science and technology:the USA and Germany.Based on insights from’varieties-of-capitalism’literature and using process tracing methodology,this study identifies significant differences in today’s pursuit of advanced manufacturing.The German model of Rhine capitalism has strength due to its long tradition of diversified quality work,built on a long-term commitment to government-industry collaboration,with significant indirect public support provided by vocational training and research institutes.The American model of Manchester capitalism has been challenged by the loss of millions of low-skilled manufacturing jobs due to outsourcing and competition from Asia.The study finds that the“Manufacturing USA”policy initiative of the Obama era,although directly inspired by Germany’s Fraunhofer institutes,is hampered by the contextual and institutional circumstances identified.With biobased carbon fibers offering the potential of a novel,low-cost material,pursued with research and development(R&D)efforts in both countries,it provides a measure for evaluating policy outcomes,and the study confirms Germany’s technological lead.In addition,the study’s process-tracing methodology reveals that significant legacies from German knowledge creation in the past have spilled over to American science and technology,and may continue to do so,lured by government funds.Further studies on advanced manufacturing should test the robustness of these findings.

Bioplastic production in terms of life cycle assessment:A state-of-theart review

The current transition to sustainability and the circular economy can be viewed as a socio-technical response to environmental impacts and the need to enhance the overall performance of the linear production and consumption paradigm.The concept of biowaste refineries as a feasible alternative to petroleum refineries has gained popularity.Biowaste has become an important raw material source for developing bioproducts and biofuels.Therefore,effective environmental biowaste management systems for the production of bioproducts and biofuels are crucial and can be employed as pillars of a circular economy.Bioplastics,typically plastics manufactured from bio-based polymers,stand to contribute to more sustainable commercial plastic life cycles as part of a circular economy in which virgin polymers are made from renewable or recycled raw materials.Various frameworks and strategies are utilized to model and illustrate additional patterns in fossil fuel and bioplastic feedstock prices for various governments'long-term policies.This review paper highlights the harmful impacts of fossil-based plastic on the environment and human health,as well as the mass need for eco-friendly alternatives such as biodegradable bioplastics.Utilizing new types of bioplastics derived from renewable resources(e.g.,biowastes,agricultural wastes,or microalgae)and choosing the appropriate end-of-life option(e.g.,anaerobic digestion)may be the right direction to ensure the sustainability of bioplastic production.Clear regulation and financial incentives are still required to scale from niche polymers to large-scale bioplastic market applications with a truly sustainable impact.

Frontier of digitalization in Biomass-to-X supply chain:opportunity or threats?

The escalating climate crisis necessitates an urgent shift towards a sustainable business model.Un-der the context of bioeconomy,it has offered a promising alternative through its“Biomass-to-X”strategy for converting biological resources into value-added products or chemicals.However,the adoption of this approach remains scarce,which highlights the need to leverage digital technolo-gies to enhance its feasibility.Thus,this paper provides a comprehensive overview of the potential role of digital technologies in the Biomass-to-X supply chain,encompassing the entire value chain from upstream to downstream activities,specifically in the areas of 1)lab-to-fabrication transla-tion,2)biomanufacturing stage,and lastly,3)supply chain management stage.Furthermore,this study identifies and discusses research gaps in each niche area,along with potential future re-search prospects to facilitate the transition towards a sustainable bioeconomy,making it a crucial reference for stakeholders involved in decision-making processes.

Synthetic biology in the UK-An outline of plans and progress

Synthetic biology is capable of delivering new solutions to key challenges spanning the bioeconomy,both nationally and internationally.Recognising this significant potential and the associated need to facilitate its translation and commercialisation the UK government commissioned the production of a national Synthetic Biology Roadmap in 2011,and subsequently provided crucial support to assist its implementation.Critical infrastructural investments have been made,and important strides made towards the development of an effectively connected community of practitioners and interest groups.A number of Synthetic Biology Research Centres,DNA Synthesis Foundries,a Centre for Doctoral Training,and an Innovation Knowledge Centre have been established,creating a nationally distributed and integrated network of complementary facilities and expertise.The UK Synthetic Biology Leadership Council published a UK Synthetic Biology Strategic Plan in 2016,increasing focus on the processes of translation and commercialisation.Over 50 start-ups,SMEs and larger companies are actively engaged in synthetic biology in the UK,and inward investments are starting to flow.Together these initiatives provide an important foundation for stimulating innovation,actively contributing to international research and development partnerships,and helping deliver useful benefits from synthetic biology in response to local and global needs and challenges.

Processes for the valorization of food and agricultural wastes to value‑added products:recent practices and perspectives

Biorefneries contribute to a circular bioeconomy using renewable feedstock to produce commodity and specialty chemicals as an alternative to petroleum chemicals.Using waste streams such as food waste and agricultural waste as a feedstock for biorefneries is a promising approach for obtaining value-added products in an economically feasible and sustainable way.The conversion of biomass to chemicals ofers diverse opportunities but poses new technological challenges.This paper aims to review the current state of food and agricultural waste valorisation by giving a brief technical overview,summarizing the current state of the bio-based market,and identifying the current barriers to scaling-up biorefneries.Utilizing lignocellulosic biomass in biorefneries calls for pre-treatment due to its complex structure,in which biomass is broken into monosaccharides,building blocks of value-added products.Diferent state of the art technologies for lignocellulose pre-treatment is introduced in the review followed by a brief explanation of the role of the hydrolysis and fermentation.The economic aspect of chemical production from biomass waste at an industrial scale is also introduced by giving an overview of some recent techno-economic studies.

Crop residues: applications of lignocellulosic biomass in the context of a biorefinery

Interest in lignocellulosic biomass conversion technologies has increased recently because of their potential to reduce the dependency on non-renewable feedstocks. Residues from a variety of crops are the major source of lignocellulose, which is being produced in increasingly large quantities worldwide. The commercial exploitation of crop residues as feedstocks for biorefineries which could be used to produce a variety of goods such as biofuels, biochemicals, bioplastics, and enzymes is an attractive approach not only for adding value to residues but also for providing renewable products required by the expanding bioeconomy market. Moreover, the implementation of biorefineries in different regions has the potential to add value to the specific crop residues produced in the region. In this review, several aspects of crop residue application in biorefineries are discussed, including the role of crop residues in the bioeconomy and circular economy concepts, the main technical aspects of crop residue conversion in biorefineries, the main crop residues generated in different regions of the world and their availability, the potential value-added bioproducts that can be extracted or produced from each crop residue, and the major advantages and challenges associated with crop residue utilization in biorefineries. Despite their potential, most biomass refining technologies are not sufficiently advanced or financially viable. Several technical obstacles, especially with regard to crop residue collection, handling, and pre-treatment, prevent the implementation of biorefineries on a commercial scale. Further research is needed to resolve these scale-up-related challenges. Increased governmental incentives and bioeconomic strategies are expected to boost the biorefinery market and the cost competitiveness of biorefinery products.

Life cycle assessment of urban uses of biochar and case study in Uppsala,Sweden

Biochar is a material derived from biomass pyrolysis that is used in urban applications.The environmental impacts of new biochar products have however not been assessed.Here,the life cycle assessments of 5 biochar products(tree planting,green roofs,landscaping soil,charcrete,and biofilm carrier)were performed for 7 biochar supply-chains in 2 energy contexts.The biochar products were benchmarked against reference products and oxidative use of biochar for steel production.Biochar demand was then estimated,using dynamic material flow analysis,for a new city district in Uppsala,Sweden.In a decarbonised energy system and with high biochar stability,all biochar products showed better climate performance than the reference products,and most applications outperformed biomass use for decarbonising steel production.The climate benefits of using biochar ranged from−1.4 to−0.11 tonne CO_(2)-eq tonne−1 biochar in a decarbonised energy system.In other environmental impact categories,biochar products had either higher or lower impacts than the reference products,depending on biochar supply chain and material substituted,with trade-offs between sectors and impact categories.However,several use-phase effects of biochar were not included in the assessment due to knowledge limitations.In Uppsala’s new district,estimated biochar demand was around 1700 m^(3)year^(−1)during the 25 years of construction.By 2100,23%of this biochar accumulated in landfill,raising questions about end-of-life management of biochar-containing products.Overall,in a post-fossil economy,biochar can be a carbon dioxide removal technology with benefits,but biochar applications must be designed to maximise co-benefits.

Coffee cell walls-composition,influence on cup quality and opportunities for coffee improvements

The coffee beverage is the second most consumed drink worldwide after water.In coffee beans,cell wall storage polysaccharides(CWSPs)represent around 50 per cent of the seed dry mass,mainly consisting of galactomannans and arabinogalactans.These highly abundant structural components largely influence the organoleptic properties of the coffee beverage,mainly due to the complex changes they undergo during the roasting process.From a nutritional point of view,coffee CWSPs are soluble dietary fibers shown to provide numerous health benefits in reducing the risk of human diseases.Due to their influence on coffee quality and their health-promoting benefits,CWSPs have been attracting significant research attention.The importance of cell walls to the coffee industry is not restricted to beans used for beverage production,as several coffee by-products also present high concentrations of cell wall components.These by-products include cherry husks,cherry pulps,parchment skin,silver skin,and spent coffee grounds,which are currently used or have the potential to be utilized either as food ingredients or additives,or for the generation of downstream products such as enzymes,pharmaceuticals,and bioethanol.In addition to their functions during plant development,cell walls also play a role in the plant's resistance to stresses.Here,we review several aspects of coffee cell walls,including chemical composition,biosynthesis,their function in coffee’s responses to stresses,and their influence on coffee quality.We also propose some potential cell wall-related biotechnological strategies envisaged for coffee improvements.

Biohydrogen production and its bioeconomic impact:a review

The production of biohydrogen from biological processes is cleaner and more sustainable than that of fossil fuel-based hydrogen.The drive for cleaner and sustainable energy sources is an important facet of the bioeconomy.Based on these findings,this paper aimed to examine the significance and impact of biohydrogen on the bioeconomy.These bioprocessing strategies are primarily biophotolysis,fermentation and bio-electrolytic systems.Considering that biological processes are slow compared to other thermochemical production processes,production volumes cannot match that of the latter.The inherently slow nature of biochemical reactions taking place in living organisms is a challenge that puts biohydrogen at a disadvantage.Biological processes are also very sensitive to temperature and pH,thereby requiring more intricate process monitoring and control.To obtain equivalent volumes of biohydrogen compared to production strategies,larger and more intricate facilities would be needed,implying more cost implications.It is surmised that biohydrogen will continue to play an important role in the drive for a sustainable bioeconomy despite the current challenges it faces.

Metabolic engineering in woody plants: challenges, advances, and opportunities

Woody plant species represent an invaluable reserve of biochemical diversity to which metabolic engineering can be applied to satisfy the need for commodity and specialty chemicals,pharmaceuticals,and renewable energy.Woody plants are particularly promising for this application due to their low input needs,high biomass,and immeasurable ecosystem services.However,existing challenges have hindered their widespread adoption in metabolic engi neering efforts,such as long generation times,large and highly heterozygous genomes,and difficulties in transfor mation and regeneration.Recent advances in omics approaches,systems biology modeling and plant transformation and regeneration methods provide effective approaches in overcoming these outstanding challenges.Promises brought by developments in this space are steadily opening the door to widespread metabolic engineering of woody pl ants to meet the global need for a wide range of sustainably sourced chemicals and materials.

AGRI-ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF CONVENTIONAL AND ALTERNATIVE BIOENERGY CROPPING SYSTEMS PROMOTING BIOMASS PRODUCTIVITY

Bioenergy,currently the largest renewable energy source in the EU(64%of the total renewable energy consumption),has sparked great interest to meet the32%renewable resources for the 2030 bioeconomy goal.The design of innovative cropping systems informed by bioeconomy imperatives requires the evaluate of the effects of introducing crops for bioenergy into conventional crop rotations.This study aimed to assess the impacts of changes in conventional cropping systems in mixed dairy cattle farms redesigned to introduce bioenergy crops either by increasing the biomass production through an increase of cover crops,while keeping main feed/food crops,or by substituting food crops with an increase of the crop rotation length.The assessment is based on the comparison between conventional and innovative systems oriented to feed and biogas production,with and without tillage,to evaluate their agri-environmental performances(biomass production,nitrogen fertilization autonomy,greenhouse gas emissions and biogas production).The result showed higher values in the biogas cropping system than in the conventional and feed ones for all indicators,biomass productivity(27%and20%higher,respectively),nitrogen fertilization autonomy(26%and 73%higher,respectively),methanogenic potential(77%and 41%higher,respectively)and greenhouse gas emissions(15%and 3%higher,respectively).There were no negative impacts of no-till compared to the tillage practice,for all tested variables.The biogas cropping system showed a better potential in terms of agri-environmental performance,although its greenhouse gas emissions were higher.Consequently,it would be appropriate to undertake a multicriteria assessment integrating agri-environmental,economic and social performances.

Biotechnological valorization of algal biomass:an overview

Algal biomass has significant advantages over terrestrial plants in terms of CO2 sequestration,biomass productivity,waste-water treatment along with multiple biobased products synthesis.Metabolic versatility and high carbohydrate content of microalgal biomass act as a potential alternative feedstock to fossil resources and contribute towards the biobased economy growth.Effective biomass utilization would play a key role to establish sustainable bioprocess development and technology translation to the industrial community.In this framework,the present review discusses the renewable resource potential of algal biomass and its complete utilization for multiple biobased products synthesis in a closed-loop biorefinery approach.Various methods are discussed to obtain high biomass growth and pretreatments to obtain the maximum sugars solubiliza-tion.Further,combined bioprocesses were discussed for the production of biohydrogen,biomethane,bioethanol,short-chain fatty acids(SCFA),medium-chain fatty acids(MCFA),and biopolymers in a closed-loop approach.