Origins, genealogy, and expansion of the current concept of bioeconomy in Latin America and the Caribbean
No. 13 (2025-09-16)Author(s)
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Andres MondainiFacultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales, FLACSOORCID iD: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1061-1222
Abstract
This article traces the history of bioeconomy as a global narrative and challenges the dominant view that credits its origins to Europe in the early 21st century. Through a documentary and historical-political analysis, three main processes are identified since its start in the United States in the 1980s: (1) the greening of the economy; (2) the shift from the Green Revolution agricultural model to more ecological methods of production; and (3) the promotion of policies to replace fossil fuels with biomass and biotechnology. These processes were organized and globalized by organizations such as the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the European Commission. The study explores how this vision influenced Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), where bioeconomy also began to be viewed as an alternative development model. In countries with abundant natural resources and moderate industrial capacities—such as Brazil, Argentina, and Colombia—the transformation of traditional sectors is driven by intensive activities focused on biological knowledge, surpassing both the raw materials export paradigm and the fossil fuel-based import substitution industrialization model. The article’s main contribution is to offer an alternative genealogy of the concept of bioeconomy, which expands the field of study and allows new questions to be asked about its contextualized use in the Global South. It is also recognized that, although bioeconomy has been promoted as a way to balance economic growth and sustainability, various studies warn of the risks linked to its technocratic implementation and the potential to reproduce inequalities in areas with limited institutional capacities. These critiques prompt us to examine not just the development of bioeconomy strategies but also their different effects on the territories and actors involved.
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