To improve coherence and synergy in biotechnology issues and pave the way for further innovation, the European Union established the European Bioeconomic Council, European Bioeconomy Panel. Matís' director of research, Herður G. Kristinsson, was invited to sit on the council, but it is a great honor, not only for Matís but also for the Icelandic scientific community.
The European Bioeconomy Council is a forum for discussion of the bioeconomy as a whole - from primary production to consumer markets - taking into account the complex interplay of social and economic factors and the changes they can bring about.
When we talk about the bioeconomy, we mean the food industry, feed production, forestry, fisheries, agriculture, aquaculture and the biochemical industry. European countries are making great efforts to increase co-operation between those who produce, manage and utilize organic resources or engage in other activities based on them. This refers to sectors such as food production, fisheries, agriculture, forestry, aquaculture and other related sectors. The Bioeconomics Council consists of 30 experts, all of whom are experts in their field within bioeconomics.
Hörður G. Kristinsson, director of research, says that since the establishment of the Bioeconomy Council, discussions about the bioeconomy have increased significantly. "The bioeconomy touches on many areas and the Bioeconomy Council is therefore an important tool for supporting communication between issues. Europe 2020 is the European Union's 10 - year strategy, which aims to promote sustainable economic growth within the Union. One of the focus areas of the strategy is sustainable growth, climate change, green energy, better energy utilization and increased market competitiveness. The European Bioeconomic Council was established to work on issues belonging to this category. Here at Matís, we still focus on talking about both green and blue growth ", says Hörður. "Blue growth refers to the sea and fresh water and is important for Iceland and our neighbors who share the resources of the Atlantic with us, but there are great opportunities for sustainable utilization and added value. Cooperation between green and blue growth is also important as there is often a strong link between land and sea riches. Those who work in these fields can learn a lot from each other and present new ideas from one field to another. The European Bioeconomy Council will facilitate this technology transfer and information sharing between sectors. "
Europeans need to rethink
"Europe is facing numerous challenges at the moment, population growth, rising age and age-related diseases, climate-related issues, the depletion of natural resources and growing environmental pressures. Europeans therefore need to rethink how they treat nature and radically change their approach to production, consumption, processing, storage, recycling and disposal of organic resources. Our goal is to maintain a healthy and sustainable bioeconomy in Europe and thus have a positive impact on the continent's population. Such challenges can, however, be inspiring and give rise to new ideas and discoveries. The bioeconomy will support industrial development in rural areas and lead to population growth. It will also make Europeans think about the need to improve the management of renewable resources and make them more aware of how they are increasingly impacting the bioeconomy and how it is opening up new markets for sustainable food and biotechnology products. It is also necessary for people in the primary processing industries to look at what they can do to make the production sustainable and environmentally friendly. " says Hörður. "When proposals are made for new foods and new ingredients and producers point out the need for sustainability, it is not only important to think about environmental protection but also food safety and safe food."
Hörður says that the European bioeconomy also encourages the establishment of bioeconomy councils in individual countries and regions. "The importance of better and increased sustainability around biological resources has never been more important than now and requires increased participation of the research community, companies and governments. There is a need for increased innovation and added value to make full use of limited resources. Cooperation between countries is the key to achieving goals and meeting increased requirements for organic production. Many countries share the same resources, so it is important to establish consistent policies and procedures. For example, the Nordic countries are working on the establishment of a bioeconomy council that sets a coordinated policy for the biological resources of the Arctic. It is also very important for us to work closely with other countries, for example our neighbors to the west, the United States and Canada, but we share many resources with them and face similar challenges".
Diverse resources
"One of the biggest tasks of the European Bioeconomy Council is to form a Bioeconomy Observatory, whose goal will be to map and monitor the progress and impact of the European bioeconomy and to work on a long-term strategy that benefits the development of the bioeconomy. We have also done a lot of work on definitions and mapping and put forward proposals regarding the biomass available in Europe. This work is very important for the sustainable and profitable use of biological resources. Our biological resources are diverse and touch many aspects of food, feed, energy and pharmaceutical and agricultural production. In this assessment, we have had to take into account various economic, social and environmental factors, and this has made the work quite complicated. Our goal is to present to the European Union priority proposals on the supply and use of biomass," says Hörður.
The European Bioeconomy Council has presented a policy and action plan based on this Framework Program for Research and Technological Development (FP7) and EU Framework Program for Research and Innovation (Horizon 2020).