Insights
The bioeconomy in European security strategy
A new trading order is on the rise. Economic alliances are crystallising around military and geopolitical ones, redrawing old trade routes. In this new world, resource security is a major preoccupation for governments and the EU believes its bioeconomy could…
Chemicals from thin air: gas fermentation and the future of bio-manufacturing
Bacteria can metabolise sugars in milk or wheat into wondrous forms like sourdough bread, sauerkraut, beer and cheese. Modern industrial fermentation uses similar techniques: it cultivates biochemicals in the bodies of microorganisms for drugs, proteins, nutraceuticals, and personal care chemicals.
Biodegradable and recyclable: the best of both worlds in sustainable packaging
Vast amounts of plastic packaging on the market today could be eliminated completely. However, in certain applications like food and medical equipment, the physical protection they afford is vital.
The rise of nature-sustaining bio-businesses in Southeast Asia and Brazil
"We have unleashed a mass extinction event, the sixth in roughly 540 million years, wherein many current life forms could be extirpated or at least committed to extinction by the end of this century." This 2017 statement signed by 15,…
Invasive fish and pythons find new uses in fashion and feed
The UN warns that invasive species could cost the world at least $423 billion each year as climate change worsens. Although some wild introductions are benign, many pose serious risks to biodiversity and ecosystem health around the world.
Brazil’s Amazonian bioeconomy offers hope for stemming deforestation
Brazil’s exports in iron ore, soybeans, oil, sugar, and meat have made it the tenth biggest economy in the world. Yet these industries are all land-hungry, meaning that Brazi’s growth is intimately tied to the destruction of its vital rainforests.