From (false) bioeconomy mantras to narratives which help us understand the world

BIC Industry Networking Event

The keynotes at the BIC Networking Event on 02 October gave a lot of food for thought. At the event, the winners of the student competition BISC-E were also announced (the French entry, proposing anaerobic fermentation for production of a biosurfactant). For CLIB, the event also offered the chance to network with industry representatives from across Europe.

 

Rob Beekers, the Chairman of the Biobased Industries Consortium (BIC), set the scene by giving his definition of a mantra: something that has been repeated so many times, it is hard to disbelieve. He then identified three mantras in bioeconomy, which he felt were wrong and needed to be addressed

• Use of biobased materials make consumer products more expensive
• That something is biobased, does not mean that it is better
• Biogenic carbon should only be counted when stored for many years

He argued that often, the bio-based feedstock was only a fraction of the retail price, for example of a polyester shirt, and should not necessarily lead to a large price increase. When comparing bio-based products, the benchmark should be clear. In his mind, any product compared to one using virgin fossil carbon, should be viewed as better, even if not perfect. And finally, especially products with a short life-span would benefit from being made from bio-based instead of fossil carbon.

Another way of looking at bioeconomy, and indeed the world, was given by Erika Staël von Holstein, of the think-tank Reimagine Europa. She explained that “Narratives are not simply stories but deeply ingrained cognitive frameworks that help individuals and societies organize facts and assign meaning to the events around them.” Together with the idea that there are narrative traps, this leads to a deeper understanding of how the general public might react to the vision of a bioeconomy or bio-based products.

A salient example is the expectation following from the narrative trap, that “in order to do good, one must suffer”.  As a consequence, no bio-based product which is good-for-the planet can easily be enjoyed. The expectation will always be that one pays more money to do good and then needs to suffer a low-quality product. Understandably, this makes consumers less likely to be enthusiastic about “green” products, or at least limits the circle of potential consumers.

Finding new ways to communicate about the benefits of bio-based products or the bioeconomy while keeping existing narratives in mind might help build a more positive view on our sector.

 

Image rights: BIC, Biobased Industries Consortium, 2024