Bioeconomy or Green Economy, where does Nigeria stand?
Abraham Isah Rose S.M. Gidado Sarah Iweajunwa
February 2020
OFAB Nigeria’s Bt Cotton site
Bioeconomy and Green economy are both multidimensional knowledge-based concepts that act interrelatedly as a link between material science, engineering, economics and the sub-aspects of life sciences enabling bio-based sustainable economic development. In view of the depleting fossil resources that have been an ancient origin of the climate threatening gas, carbon dioxide, climate change and a growing world population, sustainable resource-efficient strategies are increasingly in demand to guarantee the well-being of societies. Bioeconomy and green economy are two responses to these challenges that encapsulates various sectors, such as agriculture, environment, aquaculture and industry. Bioeconomy comprises those parts of the economy that involve renewable biological resources such as forests, crops, animals and microorganisms in the production of food, materials and energy. It includes new drugs and diagnostics for improved human health, higher-yielding food crops using modern biotechnology tools, emerging biofuels to reduce dependency on oil, and biobased chemical intermediates.
Figure 2: The Bioeconomy Strategy
Source: European Commission
The main aim and objective of bioeconomy are economic development based on the innovative and competitive development of biology providing sustainable and smart products to fulfill the growing needs of the population while also protecting environment and resources. Bioeconomy can be related to various development factors, such as employment of biotechnology and bioscience in agricultural production, improvement of food quality and production that will ensure food safety, research and production of biofuel in sustainable way that will reduce fossil fuel consumption, and development of production systems that will reduce emissions and thus mitigate climate change. Putting all the bio-based products together with industrial biotechnology and marketing will open new job opportunities for the Nigerian masses and therefore increase their standard of leaving that will in turn increase the nations GDP. As in other nations, Nigeria can depend on biodiversity to sustain life and development. Biological diversity provides us with adequate food, feed, fiber and fuel that support the life system.
Figure 3: Biotechnology is key to the achievement of bioeconomy
Source: Woźniak et al. (2018)
The escalating pollution, carbon dioxide emission and climate change accrued from industrialization, mechanization of agriculture and economic activities engineered by the mining of natural resources all form the bases for the emergence of the term “bioeconomy”.
Though bioeconomy has been at the center of discussion as a vital tool for poverty alleviation, the term green economy is beginning to emerge as an all-encompassing term. Green economy is a broader concept than bioeconomy, encapsulating renewable energy, low-carbon transport, energy-efficient buildings, clean technologies, improved waste management, improved freshwater provision, sustainable agriculture, forestry, fisheries etc. Green economy is an alternative vision for growth and development; one that can generate growth and improvements in people’s lives in ways consistent with sustainable development. Green economies require green energy generation based on renewable energy to replace fossil fuels as well as energy conservation and efficient energy use. Green economy can be thought of as one which is low carbon, resource efficient and socially inclusive. Bioeconomy is key to green economy. Since bioeconomy deals with various aspects such as food production, bioresources, biofuel, health and environment, economy and related research and development, it can be said that bioeconomy has close interrelationship with green economy. The energy generated from bioresources is renewable and can be used for producing heat and electricity and cooling by absorption chillers as well as the transportation fuel. Renewable means which can be produced again and again but green means which is healthier for the environment and do not cause pollution, harm ecosystem or increase global warming.
Figure 4: An aerial view of the OFAB Bt Cotton Site: Estimation by the United Nations (UN) has revealed that the Green Economy could create 24 million new jobs. Nigeria already has what it takes to run a green economy by taking advantages of the several potential benefits of the Bt Cotton and Bt Cowpea
As the world is debating how to cut dangerous emissions, several scientific findings have shown that modern biotechnology has the potential to save the planet up to 2.5 billion tons of CO2 emissions per year and support building a green economy. Green economy is an approach to overcome the deepening ecological and development crisis. Nigeria’s dependence on fossil fuel has been affecting the environment negatively. Renewable energy is one major sector of the green economy that can be deployed by Nigeria to Nigeria, reduce greenhouse emissions into the atmosphere.
Agriculture-based industries as well as industries related to biomass and waste, bio-refinery, chemicals and materials, food and feed ingredients are the bases of bioeconomy and green economy. Development of these industries means more requirement for the skilled and technical manpower, which means more opportunities for jobs, but how can Nigeria achieved these without first, the application of biotechnology tools to boost crop yield and enhance food production?
Biotechnology proposes various tools and technologies for advancing traditional and modern agricultural research and improving the understanding of the genetic level of the plants and animals which thereby enhances bioeconomy and green-economy. New ideas are being developed through biotechnology to increase the quality production of both food crops and cash crops which further translates to the development of bioeconomy. In Nigeria the Bt. cotton and Bt. cowpea recently released for commercialization can be a good starting point for the development of the bioeconomy and green economy.
To meet the increasing demand of the key elements of bioeconomy which are food, feed, fiber and fuel, two pathways can be followed, one is by increasing the cultivating land for food crops and biofuel and second is by increasing the per-unit production on existing land. However, increasing the cultivable land and productivity both puts environment on pressure. Biotechnology is the answer to increase the productivity of food, feed, fiber and fuel but there are many issues that come along with it such as policy and regulation.
Agricultural biotechnology is one of the policy recommendations from the 13th International Consortium on Agricultural Biotechnology Research (ICABR) Conference held in Ravello, Italy for a key response to the global food crisis. There have always been criticisms about the use of land for fuel production instead of food production. Due to the increasing demand on the energy supply or fuel production, the land has been used for biofuel crop production resulting in reduced land for food crop plantation and increased price for food products. While it is sure that the demand for both fuel and food will not decrease but increase in coming future, it becomes necessary to find a balance between these two for food availability as well as biofuel supply.
Figure 2: Bioeconomy will be the next wave of the economy. This global development lays the foundation for a change towards bioeconomy.
Source: http://biotalous.fi/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/The_Finnish_Bioeconomy_Strategy_110620141.pdf
Can Nigeria learn from the Finland’s story? Finland is already in outstanding position among the world leading countries in bioeconomy development. The role of bioeconomy is crucial in Finnish national economy with more than 16% share and the current output of Finnish bioeconomy exceeds € 60 billion and has created employment for more than 300,000 people. Apart from the specific goals mentioned above, the Finnish bioeconomy is also aiming for the self-sufficient and sustainable energy development, biodiversity conservation and uniform and stabilized regional development.
In conclusion, with an approximation of the world population to grow to 9 billion by 2050 and limitation in natural resources, it becomes necessary to move towards renewable and sustainable strategy not only to secure the food supply but to supply healthy food and feedstock as well as daily materials. Bio-based development can be sustainable, long-term, sufficient supply and renewable. Proper research on the consumer needs and requirements might be necessary for biotechnology innovation and to open up the new markets for biobased products.
Having noted Nigeria’s great potentials of low carbon profits and rich natural assets, the development of a green economy would make the environment more sustainable because of the less dependence on fossil fuel-based technologies. To start with, there should be awareness of what green economy is, the populace should be made to understand what they stand to gain from it. The message should be clear that the choices we make impact on the environment either negatively or positively.
Figure 5: Application of modern biotechnology in the green economy system
Source: Ryabch enko (2015)
A publication of Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology (OFAB) in Africa
c/o National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA),
- Address: Umar Musa Yar’adua Way, Lugbe, P.M.B. 5118, Wuse, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory
- Telephone: +2348073557759 // +2348033549777 (WhatsApp)
- Email: ofabnigeria@gmail.com // nabdamails@yahoo.co.uk
Abraham Isah,
Program Assistant,
Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology in Africa
Rose M. Gidado. PhD,
Deputy Director, National Biotechnology Development Agency
Country Coordinator, Open Forum on Agricultural Biotechnology in Africa
Sarah Iweajunwa,
Senior Scientific Officer,
National Biotechnology Development Agency