Building an Integrated Vision of the Forest-Based Sector within a Bioeconomy

The International Union of Forest Research Organization (IUFRO) commissioned, in early 2025, a global Task Force to describe a comprehensive science-based perspective of a forest-based sector within a bioeconomy. IUFRO is made up of the premier forestry research institutes, and the Task Force will work with this global community to develop pathways to consider for improved transition strategies, policies, and actions that reflect the myriad contributors to the forest-based sectors. The new vision, developed by the Task Force, will be based on the perceptions and views of the IUFRO member institutions, scientists, and related experts, supported by science-based frameworks that include metrics, methodologies, guidelines, with bridges to other interrelated bioeconomic sectors.

The concept of a bioeconomy is not new. Over the last 20 years it has reemerged as a way towards sustainable development while reducing the use of fossil fuel-based resources in an economy based on renewable biological resources and knowledge of those resources with an imperative of operating within ecological boundaries. Bioeconomy is broadly described as the ‘production, utilization, conservation, and regeneration of biological resources, including related knowledge, science, technology, and innovation to provide sustainable solutions within and across all economic sectors.’ Bioeconomy sectors include forestry, agriculture, fisheries, and aquaculture, as well as energy and industrial production of bio-based products. Innovation, prompted by research and development linked to policy, is a critical driver for transitioning to bioeconomy. Success depends on the engagement and priorities of nations and their stakeholders, who can develop appropriate solutions for local opportunities and challenges. 

The forest-based sector is integral to a bioeconomy! Much of the attention related to this sector has been on reducing and replacing non-renewable resources, especially fossil-based resources, with wood and derived products by using wood more efficiently, sophisticatedly and innovatively, fundamentally adding value to products. Yet, forests provide more than timber, cellulose or carbon; the scope of the forest sector within a bioeconomy is broader and multifunctional. The astonishing biodiversity of plants, fungi, and animals in forests offer multi-purpose sources of food, medicine and novel products, as well as non-tangible benefits, e.g., cultural identity, recreation, joy and health. The multifaceted values of forests herald the need to expand the concept of bioeconomy and what constitutes the forest-based sector’s contributions to such an economy.

The fundamental purpose of the Task Force is to understand and integrate the views of scientists representing forestry research institutions, forest communities, and natural resource policymakers into a comprehensive characterization of the bioeconomy. The Task Force envisions building a ‘global voice of forest science‘ that expands the bioeconomy concept to embrace and integrate the rich diversity of products and services, and the billions of people affected by an integrated forest-based sector. To achieve this, the Task Force plans to:

1. Synthesize knowledge on the forest-based sector in a bioeconomy by undertaking and compiling area-specific assessments, sharing knowledge, and assessing forest-based bioeconomy indicators.
2. Characterize a forest-based sector within a bioeconomy by using science-based methods to survey IUFRO members, officeholders and partner organizations to elicit the perspectives of premier researchers and their institutions.
3. Analyze bioeconomic strategies and policy frameworks, identifying and assessing the roles of the forest-based sector, employing policy science methods systematically and consistently examining characteristics of bioeconomic strategies
4. Develop a collaborative network to foster inclusive dialogue on forest-based bioeconomy, by sharing information with all IUFRO Divisions and groups, engaging active cooperation with IUFRO-affiliated organizations, and encouraging young career scientists’ participation. 

The Task Force will reach out to and engage all IUFRO Divisions, Research Groups, Working Parties, across geographic, gender and age horizons to create an inter- and transdisciplinary interconnected vision for a forest-based bioeconomy. As of March 2025, the Task Force is made up of 73 forest scientists from six continents and 26 countries. Almost 20 percent hold formal roles in IUFRO. Fifty-two percent of the team are from Asia, Africa,  South America, or Oceania, while 45 percent are based in Europe.

Task Force leadership is coordinated by senior researchers at the Institute of Forest, Environmental and Natural Resource Policy and the Centre for Bioeconomy at the BOKU University in Vienna, Austria. Deputy coordinator representation comes from Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research Institute (New Zealand), University of Eastern Finland, Czech University of Life Science Prague, Thünen Institute of Forestry (Germany) and the University of Hohenheim (Germany). 

Source: IUFRO

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