A BIOECONOMYSTRATEGYFOR FRANCE–Goals, issues and forward vision

MAKINGBIOECONOMYPRODUCTS AMARKET REALITY P.P.P10

Raising the profile of innovativebioeconomy products P.P.P12

Clarifying and highlighting the positive externalities of biobased products P.P.P12

Making use of publicprocurement for biobasedproducts P.P.P13131

PRODUCINGBIORESOURCESSUSTAINABLY TO MEET THENEEDS OF ALLBIOECONOMYVALUE CHAINS P.P.P18Improving and sharing our knowledge of the resourcesand their uses P.P.P19

Producing and using morebioresources P.P.P20

Using bioresources and seekingthe best possible organisationP.P.P21

GUARANTEEINGA SUSTAINABLEBIOECONOMYP.P.P22

A competitive bioeconomyworks in synergy with naturalmechanisms P.P.P22

The development of thebioeconomy has a majorregional component P.P.P23

A productive and competitivebioeconomy is founded onsustainable production P.P.P23

The bioeconomy must makeuse of environmental impactassessments P.P.P24

BUILDING A DIALOGUE WITHSOCIETY FOR A SHAREDBIOECONOMYP.P.P26

Informing and engaging the actors P.P.P26

Organising debate to ensureinformed decisions P.P.P27

IN SUMMARY, TRANSVERSEPROJECTS FORCOLLECTIVEPROGRESS P.P.P3.3. 3

INNOVATION FORA HIGH-PERFORMANCEBIOECONOMYP.P.P28

Understanding and assistingchanges in global food systems P.P.P28

Continuing research efforts to develop outlets for chemicals,materials and energy P.P.P29

Supporting research for moresustainable production systemsand biomass adaptation P.P.P29

Making use of research fora regionally integratedbioeconomy and sharing value P.P.P3.3. 0

Successfully combining andevaluating multiple innovationsin meta-systems P.P.P3.3. 1

Using research to supportbioeconomy training P.P.P3.3. 2

SUPPORTING THE TRANSITIONTO A HIGH-PERFORMANCE, INNOVATIVE AND SUSTAINABLEBIOBASEDINDUSTRY P.P.P14Fostering industrial ecologythrough synergy in uses of bioresources and the factors of production P.P.P14

Developing novel, flexibleproduction systems suitedto the resources used P.P.P15

Rolling out industrial activities P.P.P15

Fostering dialogue betweenfarming, forestry and fisheriesupstream and processingindustry operators P.P.P16

THE BIOECONOMY IN FRANCE: A REALITY, A GOAL FOR TRANSITION P.P.P4

THE KEY ISSUES FORTHE BIOECONOMY IN FRANCE P.P.P10

ROLLING OUT THENATIONALBIOECONOMY STRATEGY P.P.P3.3. 4Bringing together and fosteringdialogue between the actors for the roll-out of the strategy P.P.P3.3. 4

Defining an action plan P.P.P3.3. 5

Playing an active part at EU and international levels P.P.P3.3. 5

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Graphic design: Communication Directorate (DICOM) at theMinistry of Agriculture, Agrifood and Forestry. December 2016.

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In 2015, the Ministry for Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy, the Ministryof National Education, Higher Education and Research, the Ministry of the Economy,Industry and the Digital Sector and the Ministry of Agriculture, Agrifood and Forestrylaunched a project to define a bioeconomy strategy for France.

The intention was to propose a vision for the coordinated and sustainable developmentof supply chains based around biomass for food production, materials, biobasedmolecules, bioenergy and ecosystem services.

Given the vastness of the subject (from upstream to downstream in terms of supplychains and activities), this effort obviously needed to be opened up to all actors.The involvement of four government ministries testifies to this. The desire for broadinvolvement of the stakeholders is more evidence: a series of hearings was held forkey actors in six theme-based meetings. The present document was also submittedto all concerned in order to obtain their views.

This work demonstrated the need to consider the disparity of the situations relatingto the bioeconomy, along with the diversity and history of the approaches supportingit in terms both of public-sector measures and the involvement of the private sector.These discussions also established the need to continue the dialogue.

For all these reasons, this document is one stage in the implementation of an acknow-ledged, concerted approach in favour of the bioeconomy. The aim is to define byconsultation between the parties the domain, the issues and the vision for a futurethat has a bioeconomy. In particular, the task is to define together a framework forambitious and sustainable development of the bioeconomy consistent with ourcountry’s resources and needs.

In conjunction with this, there is a need to raise awareness of the measures alreadyin place. And lastly, it is essential to lay the foundations of long-term governance.

This document therefore sets out to define the fundamentals of a holistic Frenchstrategy on the bioeconomy shared by all private- and public-sector actors. It willbe supplemented by a second chapter describing the milestones and proposalsfor the operational deployment of the bioeconomy in France. The task will be todefine an action plan to apply, once again adopting an open approach.

FOREWORD

THE BIOECONOMY: FOR OUR FUTURE AND THE FUTURE OF THE PLANET

BIORESOURCES

BIOSPHERE &BIODIVERSITY

HABITATSATMOSPHERE & CLIMATE

NON-FOOD

HUMAN NEEDS

FOOD

ECOSYSTEM SERVICES

Bior

esources

not e

xtracted

Photosynthesis

Restitution of biowaste

Recycled biowaste

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THE BIOECONOMY IN FRANCE: A REALITY, A GOAL FOR TRANSITION

The Paris Conference on Climate Change(COP21) led to a universal agreement onthe climate with the objective of ensu-ring, for the whole planet and by the endof this century, that the average rise intemperatures is well below 2°C, and en-deavouring to limit that rise to 1.5°C.That agreement also acknowledges thecrucial issue of global food security andthe particular vulnerability of food pro-duction systems. The outlook is for a hu-man population of over nine billion by2050 with dietary regimes showing on-going changes, in particular increasesin protein consumption.

In order to cope with these challengesand avoid compromising the popula-tion’s quality of life or the developmentcapacity of future generations, it is ne-cessary as of now to adopt new modesof production and consumption that are,at one and the same time, more efficient,resilient and compatible with the planet’slimits and mechanisms. Improved useof bioresources intended for food mar-kets, for the manufacture of useful mo-lecules, products, materials and energy,and the maintenance of ecosystem func-tionalities can offer powerful leveragefor the control of global warming.The use of bioresources also offers op-portunities for our economy. It cancontribute to greater food sovereigntyand the restoration of our trade balance,as well as creating value-added, therebyreinforcing the dynamism of rural areasand developing employment.

DÉFINITIONSBioresources –also called biomass – arethe core of the bioeconomy.This includes all materials of biological origin (with theexception of fossil materialssuch as petroleum or coal).Terrestrial plants, algae,animals, microorganisms andbiowaste either produce or arethemselves bioresources.Bioresources derive directly orindirectly from photosynthesisand are renewable.

The bioeconomyencompassesthe whole range of activitieslinked to bioresource production,use and processing. The purposeof bioresources is to provide asustainable response to the needfor food and to part of society’srequirements for materials andenergy, as well as providingsociety with ecosystem services.

The goal of the French bioeconomy isto respond to all these challenges bybringing together within a systemic visionall activities for bioresource production,supply and processing, product valori-sation and the ensuing solutions, alongwith maintenance of ecosystems in re-gions. Human beings and citizens arecentral to a new vision in the Frenchapproach to the bioeconomy.

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DÉFINITIONBiobased products are defined as productsderiving entirely or partially frombioresources.

The farming, forest-wood, maritime (sea-weed, fisheries) and aquaculture sectorsin our country, all of which supply bio-resources, have a long history and arein many cases deeply rooted in our re-gions. They have given rise to a diversityof supply chains for their valorisation:

Actors in the agricultural sectorhave put in place major industrial andfinancial operators backed by researchand innovation in order to diversify theirmodes of production and expand theircommercial outlets. This has enabledFrance to develop an agrifood sector re-cognised for its products’ quality anddiversity: a fact notably reflected in alarge number of official quality signs andby the existence of innovative produc-tion systems such as organic farming,agroecology and agroforestry. France isthe leading European producer and thesecond biggest exporter of agriculturalproducts. Agriculture also provides eco-system services by maintaining farm-land and shaping landscapes, as well ashelping retain activities in rural areas.

The actors in the forest-wood sectorhave developed diversified managementsystems for hard- and softwood wood-land, as well as supply chains for primaryand secondary processing with nume-rous commercial outlets. Forestry ope-rators maintain woodland and produceeconomic services (lignocellulosic re-sources from the exploitation of forestsand wood), environmental services (cli-mate, air quality, water quality, soil pro-tection, noise reduction, biodiversity)and services for society (leisure, livingspace, etc.).

Products from the sea (animal andplant) are also a focus for significant re-search and specific forms of valorisation.Innovative companies are emerging inthe area of creation and production ofnew foodstuffs, for example.

The great diversity of the co-productsof all these supply chains, the organicwaste they produce and the organicwaste from the urban environment, canalso be used for new commercial appli-

cations or as substrates for fermentation,composting or the production of energyin programmes for recycling and the ma-nagement of materials and energy flows.

These sectors are giving rise to no-vel sources of value. A broad range ofbiobased products and energy is noweither available on the market or underdevelopment. Notable among them are:intermediate molecules, detergents, sol-vents, surfactants, adhesives, biobasedplastics, construction materials, furni-shings, paper and cardboard, compositesfor transport applications, energy in theform of liquid biofuels, heat, electricityand biomethane. In many cases, suchbiobased products offer technical andenvironmental performance equivalentto, or even better than that of their fossilcounterparts and, above all, new func-tionalities.

The quality of natural and anthropisedspaces and the landscapes that resultfrom these production systems underpinsthe development of a tourism and leisureeconomy while at the same time provi-ding major ecosystem functions (cli-mate, water purification, erosion control,biodiversity, protection against naturalhazards, etc.) that are indispensable, es-pecially for the maintenance of primaryproduction, the bioeconomy’s essentialfoundation. Development of the bioeco-nomy and ensuring its sustainability alsoentails a need to ensure that those me-chanisms continue to function.

One of the key advantages of the Frenchbioeconomy derives from the excellenceof France’s fundamental scientific re-search as finalised and applied, alongwith the very many initiatives promotedby local actors. National operators in theresearch field, technical institutes, majorprogrammes and collaborative researchand development facilities, industrial de-monstrators, transverse regional ap-proaches such as competitiveness clus-ters active in this domain, or moremodest initiatives relating, for example,to short distribution channels, methani-sation or biobased construction mate-rials for buildings have brought intoexistence and have tested technologiesand innovative markets and practicesthat have proven their worth.

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These already offer novel prospects forbioresource production, use and proces-sing as well as valorisation.

The bioeconomy is a reality in our coun-try; it is solidly embedded in our regions,where it already generates a high levelof economic activity. In a competitiveinternational context which is rapidlyorganising, leading to a need to remainvigilant with regard to competitivenessissues, its development can rely onstrong investment in research and in-novation in both public and private sec-tors. In particular, it will be necessaryfor it to optimise and expand its capacityto produce and make use of the availablebioresources on a sustainable basis andto foster potential points of synergy bet-ween different industrial sectors. If it isto be viable and productive over the longterm, that development must be part ofan approach involving the linking up ofdifferent uses of biomass and the sus-tainability of production and processingmethods.

Specifically, there is a need to take ac-count of the fact that use of bioresourcesassumes that materials are extractedfrom the natural cycles of carbon, nitro-gen and other nutrients, water, and soon. This in turn means that it is neces-sary to close the loop of these cycles, inparticular by preserving the biologicalprocesses that form the basis of all pro-duction in the living world (soil life, pol-lination, etc.). Public policy already in-corporates a series of measures toensure the sustainability of bioeconomydevelopment by combating food waste,

developing renewable energy and bio-based materials, sustainable extractionand rational use of raw materials, andso on.

In addition, the French approach to thebioeconomy sets out to be participatory:the major social, environmental and eco-nomic issues are matters of concern forall citizens and they should therefore bein a position to understand what is atstake in the balance between valuecreation, allocation of wealth across theregions and the quality of life there. Forthat reason, it is essential that all stake-holders (economic actors, academics,elected representatives and the generalpublic) should be associated with thepolicymaking processes and the execu-tion of practical projects.

Finally, coherence and synergy are im-perative for national policies, regionalapplications of policy and European in-tegration in terms of the economy, theenvironment, agriculture, forestry, andresearch and development in the re-gions. Closer cooperation not only withour European partners but also interna-tionally is another objective in the im-plementation of this strategy.

The bioeconomy in EuropeIn 2012, the European Commission putforward a strategy for the bioeconomyentitled Innovating for Sustainable Growth: A Bioeconomy for Europe. Various initiativeshave been engaged in this context:

▶ Formation of several working groups inthe Standing Committee on AgriculturalResearch (SCAR) in DG Research.

▶ The setting up of the EuropeanBioeconomy Observatory, backed by a panelof experts.

▶ Formation of an expert group on biobasedproducts as part of the LMI (Lead MarketInitiative) in order to underpin theirdevelopment.

▶ The launch of a public-private partnershipassociating the European Commission with a consortium of manufacturers in whichFrench players are closely involved, involving€1 billion of public money and €2.7bnin private-sector funding.

Member States are encouraged to take partin these various projects and to adopt a national strategy aimed at covering thewhole range of issues pointed up by the European action plan. Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, Finland and Spainnow have strategy documents. France hashad numerous projects take shape in the direction of the bioeconomy, making it a major actor in the European bioeconomy.The definition of a national strategy willenable France to play a full part inforthcoming discussions and especially thoserelating to the evaluation and revision of the European Commission’s strategy.

©Com

mision européenne

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1.TO GUARANTEE FOOD SECURITY AND ACCEPTABLE LIVINGSTANDARDS FOR PRESENT AND FUTURE GENERATIONS BY PRESERVING NATURAL RESOURCES AND ECOSYSTEM

FUNCTIONS IN HABITATS

2.EFFICIENT, RESILIENT AND CIRCULAR, PRODUCTIVE

FOR THE LONG TERM

3.FOCUSED ON ITS CITIZENS AND WITH LOCAL ROOTS,

A BIOECONOMY THAT CONTRIBUTES TO THE DEVELOPMENTOF ECONOMIC VALUE AND JOBS

4.PROVIDING INNOVATIVE, EFFECTIVE AND AFFORDABLE

SOLUTIONS ABLE TO MEET THE DIVERSITY OF HUMAN NEEDS

For our future and the future of the planet, France hastaken a strategic decision to encourage and supportthe development of a sustainable bioeconomy:

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AGRICULTURE

28 M hectares (51 % of total land area).

936,000 jobs on 450,000 holdings.

€72.8bn in annual revenue.

FORESTRY

16 M hectares(28 % of totalland area).

3,3 million forest owners.

FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE

A 10.2m sq. km.Exclusive Economic Zone.

7,200 shipsand 3,300 aquaculture firms.

37,000 headcount.

€1.8bn in annual revenue.

France’s bioeconomy: a major advantagefor the country, the economy and the climateeThe bioeconomy is a major sector in the French economyand the country as a whole. For all industries, both thosealready in place and those only now emerging, it is a sectorthat contributes to our country’s socioeconomic dynamic.

Production of bioresources

Looking beyond these contribu-tions to the economy and thecountry, the bioeconomy’s valuechains offer key benefits for miti-gating climate change. In Francein 2013, approximately 500m CO2

equivalent tonnes were emitted,taking all activities together, andit is planned to reduce this figureto around 325m CO2 equivalenttonnes by 2030. The bioeconomycould contribute significantly tothis:

▶ replacement of products offossil origin by products derivedfrom bioresources could offer po-tential reductions in emissions ofapproximately 40Mt of CO2 peryear by 2030 and storage of 5Mtof CO2 per year;

▶ the potential emissions reduc-tion in the farming industry consi-dered achievable by 2030 (nota-

bly by encouraging changes infarming methods and energy self-sufficiency based on methanisa-tion, for example) would be in theregion of 10-15Mt;

▶ a 20 % reduction in food wasteby 2030 would avoid emissionsof 10Mt CO2eq/year.

Source : CGAAER report no. 14056 –Potential contributions of agricul-ture and forestry to combating cli-mate change – 2015 [in French].

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WASTE MANAGEMENT

The waste management industry employs 120,000 people in France and generatesapproximately €17bn in annual revenue(ADEME 2015).

Of these, around 15,000 workers areemployed specifically for bioresource-related activities (by-products, biogas,etc.).

BIOENERGY

Around 60% of renewableenergy production.

>Methanisation : 694 biogasproduction facilities. (including 267 farm and local areamethanisers) representing installedcapacity of 355MW and injecting over80GWh/year of renewable gas.

>Biofuels (not including biogas): around a dozen operators and an estimated 16,000 direct jobs.

>Energy wood & solid biofuels:almost 10Mtoe consumed per year.

Valorisation

AGRIFOOD

16,200 firms employing 435,000 people (not including craft enterprises).

€169bn in annual revenue.

FOREST-WOODINDUSTRY

Pulp/paper/board.

Lumber/furnishings/woodworking.

Wood construction.

440,000 jobs in the forest-woodindustry as a whole.

BIOBASED CHEMICALS& MATERIALS

Approximately 25,000 direct jobs.

5-10% of supplies tothe chemicals and materialsindustry are biobased.

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MAKING BIOECONOMYPRODUCTS A MARKETREALITY

THE KEY ISSUES FOR THE BIOECONOMY IN FRANCE

The bioeconomy meets a very diverse range of needswith widely differing issues and leverage:

Food markets are supplied virtually entirely by thebioeconomy. Those markets facing with the challengesof increasing global demand and transitional changesin diets. By 2030, the demand for protein is likely forthis reason to grow by 40%. Additionally, France andEurope suffer from a high level of dependence on im-ported protein due to a deficit in the animal feed sector,a fact that points to an opportunity for additionalgrowth. More generally, commercial outlets for foodare characterised by innovation and are a major vectorfor growth.

Renewable forms of energy include the use ofwood and waste, organic residues or co-products indirect combustion or for the production of biogas.These uses are generally coupled with other valuechains and reinforce the generally circular and robustnature of these sectors. Biomass accounts in total foraround 60% of renewable energy in France. In the re-newables category, the biofuels industry is highly de-pendent on regulations and evolving demand for fuels(diesel/petrol(gas)). First-generation biofuels are alreadypresent in the land transport market. Advanced biofuelsare under development in major R&D projects directedat the use of lignocellulose and the creation of newsupply chains for fuels derived from waste and residues.Energy biomass (wood in particular) is already usedfor the production of heat and electricity; biogas is thesmallest component of the energy mix but is showingpromising growth. The use of these forms of energy inmarkets is the focus of multiyear energy programmingthat defines levels of bioenergy production and per-centage inclusion in conventional fuels.

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©Xavier R

emongin/Min.Agri.Fr

©Molydal

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▶ In the case of Biovalsan, it is sludge from Strasbourg’surban wastewater treatment plants that is methanisedto produce biomethane which is then injected into theStrasbourg general supply network – http://biovalsan.eu

▶ Trifyl (81 France)is a public/private entity at the level ofthe département. Household waste remaining afterrecycling is sent to a bioreactor (a form of landfill facilitywhere waste is broken down more rapidly). The biogasproduced there is valorised in three different ways:cogeneration, biomethane fuel and hydrogen. Thirteenutility vehicles, a tractor and a skip loader all run onbiomethane fuel. Trifyl is also running a project for biogasprocessing trials for the production of hydrogen.http://www.trifyl.com/actualites/actualites-liste.phpX

Methanisation projects are therefore highly diverse in termsof the raw materials used, the operators involved andthe forms of biogas valorisation.

France has set itself ambitious goals for the developmentof the biogas sector. For this, facilities can be supported in several ways:

▶ subsidies can be offered for feasibility studies and investment, notably via ADEME, the French Energy and Environment Agency, and regional authorities;

▶ a regulated purchase price for the electricity producedusing biogas and biomethane can offset differencesin production cost compared with conventional sourcesof energy;

▶ EU funds can be allocated to innovative projects.

©Cheick.saidou/M

in.Agri.Fr

©Pascal Xicluna/M

in.Agri.Fr

EXAMPLEMethanisation, the production of energy and fertilisers from local materialsMethanisation is a process whereby organic matter isbroken down in the absence of oxygen. The result is biogasand a residue, the digestate. Biogas can be converted intoelectricity and heat (cogeneration) or biomethane (injectedinto natural gas supply networks or used directly as a fuelfor example). The digestate has fertilising properties. The minerals it contains can be directly taken up by plants,distinguishing it from raw effluent (manure for example),and its organic fractions can improve soils.

Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from farm effluent,waste management, continuous production of energystorable in a number of different forms and renewablefertilisers, generation of additional value-added for biowasteproducers … projects are being set up to obtain one or more of these benefits, depending on local needs.

▶ Geotexia (22 France) was formed by farmers, agrifoodcompanies, elected representatives and an energycompany. This collective facility can convert excess nitrogenfor use outside the local area, while at the same timeproducing electricity and heat. Discharged water irrigatesplantations for a local wood-energy centre.http://www.ccmene.fr/accueil_menerpole/route_des_energies/lusine_de_methanisation_geotexia

▶ AgriBioMéthane (85 France) is a facility run by four farms.It digests slurry and manure from their holdings and by-products and waste from agrifood. The biogas this producesis purified to make biomethane with a compositionequivalent to that of natural gas and this is injected intothe GrDF distribution network or used for trials as a fuelin school buses – http://www.agribiomethane.fr

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Where the markets for formulated products andmaterials are concerned, French policy on support forinnovation has resulted in the market placement ofnumerous biobased industrial products: polyols usedin formulas for paint, coatings and adhesives; polyesterresins used in composites for applications in the auto-motive, construction and leisure industries; up to 100%biobased lubricants for the metal cutting and stampingindustry; agrosolvents for industrial degreasing, sur-factants for detergent markets; packaging for food mar-kets; construction and insulation products, and so on.Many regulatory provisions in favour of the environ-ment and health at EU level and in France have led tothe development of biobased products, but these havebeen one-off measures (e.g. regulations on reductionof volatile organic compounds encouraged biobasedpaint development, the plastic bag ban for fruit andvegetables, etc.). The work currently under way onstandards for biobased products (work at EU level inthe CEN TC411 group mirrored in France in that of theAFNOR X85A group) is likely to ensure recognition ofthe positive externalities of these products, aligned asthey are with environmental and sanitary objectives,enhancing their market competitiveness.

Other forms of valorisation of bioeconomy productsand services, as well as the associated productionareas, must also be taken into account: fertilisation,landscapes, tourism and leisure in rural areas, waterpurification, and so on. Such activities and resourcesmust not be left out of socioeconomic models, even ifthe details of how to include them are as yet unclear.

In order to expand the share of French bioeconomyproducts in all these markets, it can be seen to be ne-cessary to pursue and extend the approaches alreadyadopted in order to heighten awareness of biobasedproducts and their benefits on the part of those thatconsume them, whether manufacturers, end-users orpublic-sector procurement managers.

Raising the profileof innovative bioeconomyproducts

Certain biobased products can now be in-tegrated into market offerings thanks to thenew functionalities they provide. As inno-vative solutions, their profile neverthelessneeds to be raised for operators likely tomake use of them if they are to win signifi-cant shares of the target markets. It is alsoimportant to assist and train users to enablethem to make such solutions a part of their

own production as effectively as possible and to takeuser feedback into account to make changes to thesolutions they are offered. For that reason, it is impor-tant to bring downstream actors fully on board whendeveloping the bioeconomy.

FOCUSAgrobiobase: a showcase for biobasedproducts

Agrobiobase is awebsite focusedon biobasedproducts and theirmarkets. It ispublished by IAR,the Frenchbioeconomycluster.

Acting as afacilitator for supplier-user contacts, this website describesitself as a B2B platform directed at accelerating the marketintegration of biobased products.

Presenting nearly 300 products, the website covers aroundtwenty markets for applications ranging from cosmetics tosport and leisure, from construction to transport.

This enables over 90 European American, Asian and Africansuppliers to communicate on their products.

The site is bilingual, in French and English, and is consultedinternationally (30,000 annual visits); it has democratisedthe use of biobased products by providing key informationon aspects such as environmental benefits, plant originsand technical data, as well as supplier contact details.

The bioproduct universe is just a mouse click away, withthousands of details on biobased products in productdatasheets plus a series of articles and studies.

These articles and studies provide additional informationon bioproducts, markets for their applications and productfamilies: market data, use benefits, applications, technicalcharacteristics, etc.

You can find out more at www.agrobiobase.com

Clarifying and highlightingthe positive externalitiesof biobased products

The list of the potential positive externalitiesof bioeconomy products is long: climatechange mitigation, preservation of regions,local jobs, reduced dependence on fossil resources, resource sustainability and re-newability, reduced sanitary and environ-mental impact, protection against naturalphysical hazards, water resource conserva-tion, waste recycling, among others. The

use of quality labels and standards appropriate to com-panies and market demand can highlight the value ofthese advantages in comparison with non-biobased

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FOCUSIndustry rules for hempcreteuse in construction: a toolfor biobased product marketaccess

Draftedin 2007 inpartnershipwith thegovernmentministriesresponsiblefor national

infrastructures and agriculture, alongsidethe non-profit association Construire en Chanvre (building with hemp), theserules are regularly improved andvalidated by Agence Qualité Construction(construction quality agency).

By providing security for the use of hemp in construction, the rules make it possibleto obtain cover under 10-yearconstruction warranty insurance,which in turn opens up the markets for newbuild and major renovation. They require the use of a validatedcombination of a standardised mineralproduct and a quality-labelled plantgranulate (hemp chaff) by builders whohave attended approved training in application techniques.

Making possible the use of hemp inconstruction means getting the benefit of a large number of positive externalitiesfor the annual equivalent of onethousand new buildings:

▶ promotion of an exemplary plant for sustainable development: no plant

protection products, no irrigation and the possibility of longer crop rotations;

▶ reduced pollution due to buildingactivity, with a positive differential of26t CO2 for a standard 100 sq. m. housingunit (total net floor area) and a unit in hempcrete plus hemp wool insulation;

▶ development of reservoirs of qualifiedjobs in farming and industry that cannotbe moved offshore;

▶ provision of exceptional thermal,acoustic, seismic, hygrothermal and sanitary performance;

▶ utilisation of healthy, renewablematerials (hempcrete and hemp wool).

Further information at:www.construire-en-chanvre.fr

products. The proven benefits linked to the biologicalorigins of these products must be highlighted. Thiswill make it possible, firstly, to describe correctly whatit means for a product to be “biobased”, and progres-sively to fine-tune the definition and the methods forthe evaluation of biobased products. Clear answers toenvironmental questions will provide information forunderstanding their environmental performance (cf.2D). Communication efforts directed at the general pu-blic and buyers at all these levels is also necessary. Inaddition, in many cases precise determination of thebenefits will require work on methods and validation.In addition to commercial communication, there arenumerous public-sector tools that can be considered

Making use of publicprocurement to promotethe use of biobasedproducts

The roadmap of the “Green Chemistry andBiofuels” industrial plan contains measuresto support the use of biobased products inthe public procurement context. This ap-proach is consistent with Article 144 of theFrench law on energy transition for greengrowth promulgated on 17 August 2015,which amends the code of environmentallaw: «Art. L. 228-4. – Public procurement

shall notably take into account the environmental per-formance of products, and in particular their biobasedcharacter». The use of demonstration tools for productsustainability and overall cost can provide an effectivemeans of consolidating and targeting such use.

for supporting biobased products and promoting theirpositive externalities: taxation (as used for biofuels),regulations (used for biobased, compostable plasticbags, and for building performance), market control(energy feed-in tariffs), and others. Such approachesneed to be thought through systemically, identifyingthe instruments to be favoured and verifying the ca-pacity for the chain of value as a whole to respond ona sustainable basis, avoiding possible negative effects(prolonging sector dependence on public subsidies,slowdown or cessation of innovation, impacts ups-tream, etc.) and justifying them in light of the advan-tages described above.

PUBLIC MEASURES ALREADY IN PLACEStrategic frameworks

* The Energy Transition Law for Green Growth (LTECV):multiyear energy programming, an approach directedat environmental high performance for newbuild,a prohibition on plastic bags unless biobased andcompostable in Article 75; Article 144 on the obligationto take biobased characteristics into account in publicprocurement.

* Renewable energy policy (EnR): (energy feed-in tariffs,call for competitive tenders by the French EnergyRegulation Commission (CRE), biofuels, etc.).

Operational and knowledge tools

* Work on standards for biobased products (AFNORX85A and CEN TC411 standardisation committees).

* A study by ADEME (French Energy and EnvironmentAgency) of current markets for biobased productsand ongoing changes to 2020 and 2030.

* An economic watch programme pooled with the forest-wood sector.

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SUPPORTING THE TRANSITION TO A HIGH-PERFORMANCE,INNOVATIVE ANDSUSTAINABLEBIOBASED INDUSTRY

The industries producing these products must meetthe needs of consumers and society (cf. 2A) and canrely on one of France’s key advantages: its possessionof abundant and diverse resources. By processing rawmaterials, those industries also contribute to generatingvalue-added at local level. However, if the developmentof an innovative and sustainable “biobased” industryis to be fostered, it will be necessary:+ to know precisely what the needs of the target mar-kets are in the short and medium terms;+ to develop systems of production favourable toindustrial ecology, i.e. synergies in the use of biomassand energy resources;+ to design processing methods that are flexible andcapable of accommodating different types of biomass;+ to support and foster synergies between researchand industrial development in order to encourageinnovation;+ to coordinate supply from upstream sectors and demand from the processing industries and also to improve knowledge of the technical quality of the bio-resources.

Fostering industrialecology through synergyin uses of bioresourcesand the factors of production

The development in local regions of newactivities linked to the bioeconomy will al-low new forms of synergy to emerge in or-der to optimise the use of bioresources andrespond competitively to market require-ments. Such synergy, which will developover time, can be encouraged through ba-lanced dialogue at local level between thoseinvolved. It must be based as far as possible

on existing activities, strengthening but not destabili-sing them. The public authorities at the appropriateregional level, depending on the nature of the project,can support such alliances by facilitating discussionsbetween stakeholders.

There are already a number of trials in France that areseeking to address these issues. Between upstreamand downstream, valorisation of processing industryeffluent as fertiliser is naturally a widespread typicalapplication. Biorefineries are among the keystones ofthe bioeconomy, using local biomass resources as rawmaterial and maximising the exploitation of all fractionsof the resource for both food and non-food applica-tions.

Other models can also be considered: smaller-scaleproduction systems, possibly mobile and capable ofadjusting to high levels of biomass variability, can alsobe appropriate solutions. Such systems could enablebioresource production to be adapted to the conse-quences of climate change and strengthen the deve-lopment of a local economy.

FOCUSGrape spirit distilleries: valorisation of the industry’s by-productsand improvement of its environmentalfootprintGrape spirit distilleries based in France’s winegrowingregions collect, process and recycle the by-products of winegrowing (grape pulp and wine lees). In the main,they make alcohol for human foodstuffs, biofuels andthe chemical industry, but they also produce colorants,tannins and polyphenols, grapeseed oils, tartaric acid(for wine acidification, food conservation, etc.), pulp for animal feed, fertilisers and biogas. These distilleries also have commercial outlets in the food, farming, industrialand energy sectors.

2B

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FOCUSTembec in Tartas: transformation of a cellulose pulp plant into a lignocellulosicbiorefineryIn 1994, the forest product group Tembec decided toacquire a cellulose pulp plant in the Landes region ofFrance. The plant was the property of the Saint Gobaingroup at the time.

Twenty-two years later, this industrial facility has beentotally transformed and provides an example of industrialdiversification in the area of sustainable, profitablebioeconomy.

The company began with an overhaul of its business modelto position itself as a supplier of speciality products: high

The processing of grape pulp and wine lees by thesedistilleries constitutes the main method for valorisation of these by-products. A life cycle analysis conducted by IFVand FranceAgriMer has shown that processing these by-products in the distilleries is more virtuous that any othercurrently available treatment. These distilleries are thereforeeffective environmental tools for the winegrowing industry,forming part of the bioeconomy approach in that theymaximise the valorisation of organic products.

The sector is constantly evolving: in less than a century,traditional itinerant distillers have given way to innovativeenterprises operating in permanent premises. For example,2011 saw the birth of the MARCSIF project thanks to the helpof FranceAgriMer and grape spirit distilleries. This researchand development programme is aimed at extractingcondensed tannins from dealcoholised grape pulp for thedevelopment of biobased adhesives. Trials are ongoingand the tannins could replace the formaldehydes in glue,molecules responsible for emissions of volatile organiccompounds.

Developing novel, flexibleproduction systemssuited to the resourcesused

Non-food activities in the bioeconomymake use of increasingly diverse biomass(e.g. crop residues, forestry and wood in-dustry co-products) and organic waste. Theuse in the same recycling facility of wasteand co-products from farming, the agrifoodindustry or urban areas, or even mixturesof these, requires a viable technical and eco-nomic model based on straightforward but

robust processes for the production of commodity pro-ducts. Models focusing on the production of high value-added, low-production volume speciality moleculesfrom more specific bioresources also constitute a furtherpromising way forward for development.

Rolling out industrialactivities

The industrialisation phase can face varioushurdles: difficulties in obtaining supply, dif-ficulty in finding finance, occasionally com-plicated or inconsistent market regulationsand product standards, a lack of local ac-ceptability for industrial projects and theassociated logistics flows, complex and insome cases lengthy supply chains, and alack of attractiveness in local areas.

With regard to sectors that are strategic for France butstill emerging, subject to the unforeseen contingencesof the living world and facing strong international com-petition, the public authorities must endeavour to sup-port the creation or further development of such acti-vities. The funding of projects for the initial innovativeindustrial or experimental facilities can be assisted bythe authorities. Revision of provisions in standards orregulations unsuited for this new context are also tobe considered in order to encourage the industrial roll-out of bioeconomy activities.

Given the dependence of biobased products on a varietyof business models, a sector-by-sector approach willbe necessary when considering public policy measuresfor the various uses, and those measures should bedefined in conjunction with all the links in the valuechain, especially the sectors for product application.

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value-added cellulose for chemical applications in the pharmaceutical and food industries.

The other components of wood – the biorefinery’s rawmaterial – are also commercialised in the chemicals market:industrial lignins and tall oil soaps (resin).

Such biorefinery operations are particularly energy-intensive: due to recent changes, the fuels burned by the plant are now exclusively of plant origin (forest non-paper biomass and black papermaking liquor).

The thermal energy generated is converted into greenelectricity sold on to the national operator, with the planthaving been successful in the second call for competitivetenders launched by the Energy Regulation Commission(CRE) in 2008.

All these changes have resulted in a very significantreduction in the plant’s environmental footprint.

Such a coherent industrial complex has been possible onlydue to the very significant investments made by the Tembecgroup (more than €150m over 20 years), an uninterruptedR&D effort and financial support from institutional partnersat the national, regional and département levels.

PUBLIC MEASURES ALREADY IN PLACEStrategic frameworks

* Transposition of the methods in the UK’s NationalIndustrial Symbiosis Programme (NISP) to four Frenchregions by ADEME.

* Call for proposals for industrial programmes forthe future (PIAVE) and a call for proposals under the programme for structural organisation for competitiveness (PSPC) by Bpifrance.

Existing programmes in various sectors

* Food: food industry agreement; smart food supplysolution for a new industrial France; national foodprogramme.

* Energy: European and national policies for biofuelsand a solution for new resources for a new industrialFrance; energy methanisation plan for nitrogen self-sufficiency; heating fund; multiyear energyprogramming.

* Materials: strategic wood industry agreement;national forests and wood programme; sustainable citysolution for a new industrial France; Directorate forHousing, Town Planning and Landscape (DHUP)biobased construction materials action plans 1 and 2.

* Chemicals: new resources solution for a newindustrial France.

Fostering dialoguebetween farming,forestry and fisheriesupstream and processingindustry operators

The design and development of innovative,effective and efficient processing tools requireforward visibility of raw materials supplies.Such visibility is all the more necessary inthe case of radically new partnerships (bet-ween the chemical industry and upstreamfarming and forestry activities, for example).

Information on available resources is impe-rative ahead of project implementation (cf. 2C). Throu-ghout the life cycle of a project, coordination arrange-ments need to be put in place by upstream anddownstream operators in order to secure supplies. Ba-lanced contractual relationships can be solutions forbetter management of volumes, quality, prices and en-couragement of collective innovation. Such relations-hips must enable downstream activities to take intoaccount the variability intrinsic to upstream production(weather, disease, changes in production systems, etc.)in terms of both volume and quality, especially in thecase of highly disparate materials such as biowaste.Logistics issues between upstream and downstreammust also be among the questions to be addressed.

Reciprocally, upstream activities must, within the limitsset by their unavoidable constraints, implement solu-tions to move closer to the requirements of the toolsfor valorisation. This search for the right fit betweenupstream and downstream activities requires moreprecise collective knowledge of the resources and pro-ducts concerned in order to confirm the relevance ofthe proposed solutions in technical and economicterms.

The effort to establish such intensified dialogue canlead to a consolidation of approaches for the organisa-tion of value chains and those driving them (inter-branch bodies, trade federations, etc.).

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FOCUSBazancourt-Pomacle biorefineryBazancourt-Pomacle biorefinery is located just a fewkilometres from the city of Reims and is the outcome of a long-term, collective effort initiated and driven byfarmers in the Cristal Union and Vivescia cooperatives.

Today, this site is host to industrial units, R&D organisations,pilot trials, a demonstrator dedicated to industrialbiotechnologies and an academic “campus” funded by localgovernment. The BRI (Biorefinery, Research & Innovation)innovation platform which has established itself at the heartof this agroindustry complex was the first innovation centreto be awarded government validation under its competitivecluster policy in 2009, in conjunction with the IARbioeconomy cluster.

The complex forms an ecosystem in which various types ofsynergy have been exploited to optimise the site’s overall“metabolism” and ensure total use of the agro-resourcesprocessed in the biorefinery (mainly wheat and beet). This is a frequently cited model in the industrial ecology context.The relevant markets relate both to this sector andchemicals, cosmetics and bioenergy.

This ecosystem has expanded further with the addition of an experimental farm on what was originally a militaryairbase a few kilometres away, with the objective of improving the sustainability and performance of theagricultural production, in addition to a business parkintended for new bioeconomy enterprises.

The Bazancourt-Pomacle biorefinery has been recognisedby the DGE (General Directorate for Enterprises at the FrenchEconomy Ministry) and the UIC (Union of ChemicalIndustries) as one of France’s leading chemical platforms.

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PRODUCINGBIORESOURCESSUSTAINABLY TO MEET THE NEEDSOF ALL BIOECONOMYVALUE CHAINS

Bioresource production allows the needs of the bio-economy’s value chains to be met. The way in whichthis production is conducted determines in large partthe quality of the resulting raw materials, the quantitiesavailable and, obviously, their initial geographical location. Additionally, bioresource production and har-vesting is mainly carried on in natural or semi-naturalareas, and are therefore activities for which control andmonitoring is imperative with regard to their environ-mental impacts (not only habitats, landscape, climate,air quality, but also the ecosystem services rendered)and their social impacts.

Conditions in France are conducive to primary bio-resource production: it has the largest Utilised Agri-cultural Area (UAA), the third largest area of woodlandin Europe if French Guiana’s forests are included, theworld’s second biggest maritime area, a wide diversityof distinct local regions ranging from large cities tooverseas territories, and more. This situation permitshigh production in terms of variety and volume. However,underneath this general picture the picture is moreuneven: certain reservoirs of biomass are already ex-ploited at the present time while others offer major de-velopment potential for using sectors. Added to suchprimary resources are biowaste and co-products, avai-lable in large volumes, a significant part of which isalready exploited.

FOCUSSCIC Argoat Bois Énergie:a tool for farmers, forestry operators, local government and local enterprisesSCIC Argoat Bois Énergie markets, produces and processesenergy wood, mulching materials and products ofagricultural and forest origin. It involves actors fromupstream and downstream in the supply chain workingwithin a single organisation of cooperative type in building a local network of producers and small- to medium-sizedheating plants, the aim being to fully master the resourceand obtain a decent income for the producers (the target is €2,000 to €3,000 in extra revenue per year and perkilometre). It also provides advice and assistance tothe owners of wood-burning heating plants.

The SCIC (collective cooperative company) is positioned as a reference supplier for small- to medium-sized heatingplants locally: it sells nearly 2,500 tonnes to 20 customers,mainly wood from stands on farms purchased from the 50 farmers who are members and who have adopted a sustainable management plan for their woodland.Maximum transportation distance between storage centresand heating plants is 30 kilometres. After screening,the wood is delivered directly to the storage facility or storedon the producer’s farm, and is transported by pneumatictruck for easier delivery to plants with tower or undergroundsilos (it is important to note that the collective does not owneither the chipping machinery or the storage facilities). Non-forest woodland covers nearly two million hectaresin France (Pointereau, Solagro) and a fine-grained networkof such organisations will allow this resource to be exploitedmore efficiently.

This collective was set up thanks to funding from LEADER,Brittany’s energy wood plan and municipal cooperationbodies in the Pontivy area.

2C

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FOCUSThe combined technologynetwork (RMT) for biomass & local regionsThe RMT (combined technology networkfor biomass & local regions) is a nationalnetwork formed under an agreementsigned by the actors in various R&Dand training organisations workingin biomass research and development at every stage from local area toindustrial plant. It is headed up by the Regional Chamber of Agriculture forthe Hauts-de-France region (lead contact:e.nguyen@hautsdefrance.chambagri.fr).Its aims are to collect, capitalise anddisseminate knowledge already acquiredin its field, to define priority focuses for investigation to match the needs of

ongoing biomass projects and to buildspecific shared R&D projects.

It maintains and strengthens a network of70 multidisciplinary members at nationallevel that has been in place since 2008. Its founding partners are: the NormandyRegional Chamber of Agriculture, ArvalisInstitut du Végétal, AgroTransfertRessources et Territoires, COOP de FranceServices, Bergerie nationale and TroyesUniversity of Technology.

Its goal is to facilitate and support the development of sectors forthe valorisation of local biomass fromagriculture, taking into accountthe specific features and resources ofthe local area.

The three priorities for 2014-2018 are:

▶ to clarify, objectify and disseminateknowledge of production and

exploitation of the agricultural biomassresource and its present and future uses;

▶ to optimise the deployment of sectorsacross the country: competence,technology, economics for leveraging the “post-production” cost of agriculturalbiomass;

▶ to characterise and assessthe environmental and social impactsand positive spin-off from biomasssupply chains in local economies andnatural habitats in order to promote it.

Like all RMTs, in recognition of itscoordination work it receives its ownfunding from the special allocationaccount for agricultural and ruraldevelopment (CASDAR) manged by the Ministry of Agriculture.

To find out more, please go to thewebsite pages at: www.rmtbiomasse.org

It is generally the case that development of the bio-economy will lead to increased demand for biomass orreconfiguration of its uses. Competition between po-tential users may arise, depending on the economiccontext and supply from bioresource producers. Forthis reason, measures for the structural organisation

Improving and sharingour knowledge of the resourcesand their uses

Detailed knowledge of bioresources andtheir uses is an important means for facili-tating convergence between products andneeds, building the capacity to evaluate thevarious options for valorisation, construc-ting long-term economic projects, applyingsometimes far-reaching industrial decisions,verifying the sustainability of those deci-sions and, lastly, for ensuring the right fit

between local and general requirements. The develop-ment of the bioeconomy must therefore be foundedon robust, shared scenarios themselves based on dataallowing the inclusion of sufficiently consolidated andregionalised quantitative and qualitative analysis,giving due consideration to the heterogeneity of theresources by using means already available such as

of the bioeconomy must take fully into account up-stream production in conjunction with its valorisationdownstream and the biomass it is necessary to keepin the environment to meet the ecosystem require-ments.

That is why a national strategy for the use of biomass(SNMB) (rolled out in regional versions, SRBs) is plan-ned for 2017 to develop biomass production and ex-ploitation on a sustainable basis in order to secure sup-plies for using sectors. The SNMB will make it possibleto avoid or reduce pressure on access to bioresourcesby ensuring the maximum possible convergence of re-quirements and availability. It will be based on a sys-temic vision of the relevant resources and the possibi-lities for their exploitation, adopting an approach toguarantee the renewable character of primary resourceproduction. Such convergence will be sought at natio-nal level and if it cannot be completely achieved withFrench resources alone, the SNMB will assess the vo-lume of biomass to be imported. Resource evaluationwill also be conducted at regional level under the re-gional biomass schemes.

The SNMB will in this way improve our knowledge ofthe resources and their uses, encourage increased mo-bilisation and link up users more effectively.

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the national biomass resource observatory (ONRB).Such reflection must include and cross-correlate thewhole range of bioeconomy activities insofar as all bio-logical materials include fractions whose uses have arange of applications relating for foodstuffs, chemicalsor energy. This requirement for founding scenariospoints to the necessity of improving evaluation me-thods and information transparency, relying on researchand strategic foresight analysts, and making use of in-novative information systems that include, where re-levant, the opportunities offered by digital technologyand big data.

Producing and usingmore bioresources

Preservation of the environments on whichthe bioeconomy is founded is an imperativeprecondition: farmland, woodland and aquaticor marine habitats must be preserved interms of both quantity (notably by comba-ting soil artificialisation) and quality (main-taining their functional mechanisms) withan approach based on renewal rather thanconsumption of natural capital.

Initial efforts to increase resource production and usewill need to target regions where the sustainable potential remains underutilised. The requirement maybe for improvement in the means for harvesting, agro-nomic or forestry performance, crop genetics, logisticssystems, or other aspects. Such optimisation must beeconomically viable.

It is also necessary to consider forms of supply thatuntil now have been exploited little if at all: this mayinvolve the valorisation or revalorisation of certain areasor components of the landscape (e.g. uncultivated land,abandoned farmland whose productive capacity needsto be preserved, maritime or aquatic areas), proposingcrop systems that include new forms of production(intermediate crops in rotations, mixed crops, field hed-gerows, etc. in conjunction with the application ofagroecology), or possibly the invention of original formsof valorisation for unused biowaste whose productioncannot be avoided. The combination with agroecologycan help achieve goals for environmental sustainabilityand diversification of the uses for harvested fractionswhile at the same time producing greater quantitiesand improving the stability of supply. Here again, tech-nical, economic, social and environmental assessments,both ex-ante and ex-post, will be of key importance.

FOCUSProjects for increased use of wood,supported by AMI Dynamic BoisIn order to expand the use of wood resources, in 2015 theFrench Energy and Environment Agency (ADEME) and theMinistries responsible for energy and forestry launched acall for declarations of interest under the heading “DynamicBois” (wood dynamic) with funding of €35 million. Theoperators engaged in this will contribute to supplies ofbioresources to bioeconomy sectors. The following areexamples of winning projects.

FOCUSThe ERFCAL project (energy in reforestation,Franche-Comté Alsace)This project is driven by Sundgaubois, a company producingenergy wood in the southern Vosges and the Jura in northernFranche-Comté and southern Alsace, this being an area ofurbanised woodland where demand is high for energy wood.The project involves the national centre for forest ownership(CRPF) in a leadership role, forest municipalities (very numerousin this region), the Chamber of Agriculture and producers of energywood. The Ballons des Vosges regional nature park and thehunters’ federations in the départements monitor landscapepreservation and forest multifunctionality. The project includesinvestment in equipment and forestry (machinery, supply centres,forestry operations) and leadership activities and has a totalbudget of €2.2m for the promotion of wood harvesting, includingnon-forest wood located at field margins (hedgerows), waterwaybank upkeep, maintenance of areas occupied by major utilitynetworks, and so on.

FOCUSThe ACPDL project (coordinated action in the Loire valley)This project is driven by Atlanbois, the regional interbranchbody for the forest-wood sector in the Loire valley in a contextcharacterised by growing demand for energy wood (heatingplants planned in Nantes plus industrial processes) and limited forest resources. It is aimed at combiningdifferent resources: valorisation of urban wood for usein energy production in chipped form in areas distant fromwoodland and promotion of the replanting of depletedstands to contribute to the production of forest wood chips.This project has a total budget of €4.6m and is based ona partnership between companies supplying wood chips(forestry operators and recycling firms), forestry cooperatives,forest managers, the national centre for forest ownership(CRPF), the French national forests office (ONF) andthe Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification(PEFC) West in order to promote certification and wood chipfirms. The target for additional wood harvests is 280,000tonnes of energy wood and 45,000 cu. m. of construction and industrial wood over the next three years.

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FOCUSThe Foredavenir projectThis project is promoted by the centre for forest ownership(CRPF) in France’s Aquitaine region. It covers the Girondearea, whose forest resources, consisting largely ofhardwood, is underexploited; it is aimed at reducing thepressure on energy wood supply from the Landes forests.The project is founded on a partnership with forestrybusinesses, the Alliance Forêt Bois cooperative, the forestryentity of the Caisse des Dépôts and the national institute forgeographical and forest information (IGN). Its goals are thetake-up of an extra nearly 160,000 tonnes of wood overthree years and the restoration of depleted stands on almost1,400 hectares. It has a total budget of €4.50m.

These participants are engaged in a common approach tothe operational implementation of the programme, poolingtheir information in order to ensure both a properlybalanced value chain in the sector and sustainable forestmanagement, based on the following principles:▶ intensified mutual consultation and information-sharing,speaking the same language;▶ take-up of extra volumes of wood and a regrouping ofmarket supply;▶ affirmation of an economic balance between sectoroperators;▶ communication of sustainable management criteria forgreater value-added from forests.

Using bioresources,seeking the best possibleorganisation

It cannot be ruled out that market pressureson long-term access to raw materials willarise or intensify. Such pressures will affecteither the conditions for access to the fac-tors of production (soil, water, etc.) or thetypes of use for the bioresources (supplychains).

The primary importance of the food securityissue is a principle generally shared at internationallevel (“food first”). However, the scope of applicationof this principle and the societal needs within thatscope may vary (between local and global levels) andevolve over time (dietary role and importance of plantproteins, new commercial technologies, etc.), all ofwhich tends to shape the analysis (and therefore thechoices) according to the situation.

Non-food uses are however also legitimate for meetingother human needs (e.g. clothing, housing, energy) andensuring the proper functioning of ecosystems (e.g.soil fertility by composting, mitigating the greenhouseeffect with carbon storage, longer crop rotations fornon-food plants). Among such non-food uses, valori-sation as materials or in the production of useful mole-cules can often be considered preferable to immediateuse in energy production, in order to store carbon inbiobased products and maximise value-added gene-rated per unit of biomass produced and harvested.Wherever feasible, reuse or recycling of biobased pro-ducts must also be encouraged, based on a circular-economy philosophy.

It is also important to support the optimisation of ma-terial yields as far as possible in order to limit resourcerequirements, cascaded applications (reusing the co-products or waste from an activity) and synergy bet-ween applications: in many cases the various possibleforms of valorisation are not mutually incompatibleand their combination can in fact be considered. Com-bating loss and wastage at the various stages in supplychains is also a way of increasing usable and used vo-lumes of materials, thereby limiting potential pressureon resource access.

ORGANISATION OF THE USES OF BIORESOURCES: APPROACHES TO BE COMBINED ACCORDINGTO SITUATIONS AND DESIRED OBJECTIVESThe bioeconomy does not necessarily give priority any one of these approaches. They can be combined and evolve to match the context.

RANKING

Usage 1Usage 1

Usage 2Usage 1

Usage 2Usage 3

FRACTIONATIONCASCADED,

CLOSED-LOOPUTILISATION

B

BIORESOURCES

Example: a so�woodlog will preferably

be used for constructionrather than energy

production

Fractionation of the biomass

and channellingeach fraction

to a di�erent use

Recycledmaterials

BIORESOURCES BIORESOURCES

Usage 2

If usage 1 is already, suppliedor is not feasible:

If usage 1 is already, suppliedor is not feasible:

Usageultime

Usage 3 Example: when producing planks

the bark is separated out (this may contain useful

molecules such as terpenes for chemical

applications) and sawdust (which can

be burned)

Example: at the end ofits life, furniture can be

recycled to produce lower-value materials

or used as energy wood

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However, those principles must remain flexible wheretheir application is concerned and they must take ac-count of economic and regional realities, and in parti-cular the existence or absence in each biomass cate-gory of expressed demand for biobased materials orbiomolecules, in light of current or upcoming marketconditions. The aim is not to establish a strict rule forpriority between different options for valorisation of agiven category of biomass; conversely, it is legitimateto ensure, for example, that the development of anenergy biomass sector is in fact compatible with main-tenance of supply to existing operators producing bio-based materials, something that will be enabled by thepreparation and implementation of the national stra-tegy for the use of biomass (SNMB) and its regionalversions (SRBs).

Finally, upstream, the preservation of production sys-tems must be given very high priority in order to main-tain production capacity over the long term. It is forexample necessary to retain a sufficient quantity of or-ganic matter and nutrients in soils and to achieve thisby not extracting the totality of the biomass producedor degrading the soil’s biological mechanisms.

Multicriteria evaluation studies (covering employment,the environment, economics, local and global contexts,existing supply chains) and modelling of the short-and long-term effects of projects will for example beessential to allow informed choices to be made betweenthe various options (and, by the same token, betweenthe various public policies and measures impactingthe activities concerned).

PUBLIC MEASURES ALREADY IN PLACEStrategic frameworks

* National strategy for the use of biomass (SNMB) and its regional versions (SRBs).

* National plan for the development of agroforestry.

* National forest-wood programme (exploitationaspect).

* The agroecology project.

Operational and knowledge tools

* National biomass resource observatory.

* Activities of biomass units at regional level.

* Combined technology network (RMT) for biomass& regions.

* Scientific Interest Grouping for CAS (modified landassignments).

* IGN forest inventory programme and the ADEME-IGN-FCBA study of forestry resource availability for energy and materials over the period to 2035.

* “Dynamic Bois” call for proposals.

GUARANTEEINGA SUSTAINABLEBIOECONOMY

Bioresources stem from complex, unceasing living pro-cesses and the bioeconomy will lead to increased ex-traction of products from the carbon, nitrogen, phos-phorus and water cycles, etc. It is vital to ensure thatthese cycles are protected and closed for the long-termviability of the living processes that regenerate the basicresources, enabling adaptation to climate change, theaim being to guarantee the long-term viability of thebioeconomy.

A competitive bioeconomyworks in synergy withnatural mechanisms

Soil renewal, soil quality, robust trophic sys-tems, the presence of biological auxiliariesof micro- and macro-fauna and flora, resi-lience in the face of adverse natural events(biotic and abiotic) notably guaranteed bybiological diversity, are all important pre-conditions for a sustainable bioeconomy.

Synergies between the maintenance of li-ving processes and the supply of bioresources musttherefore be sought and exploited, for example in orderto address the issue of phosphorus requirements, or tofoster synergies between plants and animals (e.g. as-sociation of crops, trees, rotations, pollinating insects)capable of enhancing productivity, reducing input

2D

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consumption and improving the quality of soils andaquatic habitats. Sustainable management of farmland,forests, the sea and bodies of freshwater, along withindustrial processes sparing in their use of materialsand generating little or no pollution, together form theessential basis for the French bioeconomy.

The development of thebioeconomy has a majorregional component

Stronger synergy between economic acti-vities and biological mechanisms wouldmake it possible to maintain the ecosystemservices provided to operators in local re-gions by natural and exploited areas (waterquality and circulation, pollination, protec-tion of soil against erosion, fish nurseries,landscape and tourism, etc.). Like the envi-ronmental processes to which they must

adapt, bioeconomy activities are governed by manyrhythms and spatial scales ranging from the nationaland beyond down to local farmland, water catchmentsand maritime areas. Managing them must be approa-ched at the appropriate geographical level in light ofexisting knowledge and methods. Spaces for regionalexchanges between actors mentioned in 2C will alsoneed to take these issues into account, in line withlocal infrastructure policies. Just as it requires a pano-ramic overview of all the skills and methods applied inthe socioeconomic sphere, the sustainability of thebioeconomy therefore demands the construction of apanoramic overview of the channels for materials andprocesses in the biological sphere. That overview mustalso take account of the diversity of economic and so-cial uses, market trends and all the components of re-gional development. This transverse approach may infact involve, in conjunction with the national strategy,interregional cooperation at EU level.

A productive andcompetitive bioeconomyis founded on sustainableproduction

In order to take account of both the growthin demand for bioresources and the planet’sbiological limits, consumption of basic re-sources must be as sparing as possible andprocess efficiency optimised. That is why aviable and competitive bioeconomy is foun-ded on four principles:

+ effective and efficient use of inputs, in-cluding energy, as well as the stages and processesinvolved in obtaining and processing bioresources;+ optimum use of resources, exploiting fractions thatare currently lost, little used or destroyed, such as or-ganic waste or the utilisation of polluted land for non-food purposes and decontamination, applying an ap-proach based on industrial ecology and integrated,regionalised biorefining (cf. 2B);+ a switch, wherever feasible on a sustainable basis,to the biological synthesis of useful molecules in confi-ned environments as a substitute for extraction fromecosystems, in order to reconcile sustainable extractionwith desired production;+ organisation of the different uses of the types of or-ganic production extracted, raised or cultivated on landor in aquatic media, without exceeding the system’scapacity for sustainable production and notably takinginto consideration the needs of the ecosystems them-selves.

FOCUSAn integrated multi-trophic aquacultureproject in BrittanyThe purpose of the CIMTA project promoted by the Centrefor Algae Studies and Valorisation (CEVA) based in Pleubianin Brittany is to set up a pilot aquaculture unit based onthe principles of Integrated Multitrophic Aquaculture (IMTA),a first in France in an open marine setting.

The project combines a salmon farm, a mussel farm andbrown seaweed crops on a single site, all of which createsan artificial ecosystem that takes advantage of the highdegree of mutual complementarity between these differentspecies. This concept offers numerous benefits: it reducesaquaculture’s environmental impact, improves economicperformance, enhances resilience in the face of the variabilityof the marine environment and occupies less maritime area,among other advantages.

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FOCUSPractical recommendations forthe environmental assessmentof biobased chemicalsSince its creation in 2008 in theAssociation Chimie du Végétal (plantchemistry association) (ACDV) the expertgroup on Life Cycle Analysis (GE ACV)has endeavoured to encourage operatorsin the plant chemistry sector to use LCAin support of dual use of this resource.

With the support of the French Energyand Environment Agency (ADEME), thisgroup led the production of a manualto help users of biobased raw materialsassess the environmental impacts of theirproducts pragmatically and responsibly.This document offers a novelcombination of state-of-the-art LCA and the experience acquired by fivemanufacturing companies in evaluatingtheir own products. Its recommendationsaddress around twenty frequently askedquestions on the specific characteristicsof biobased products and comparisons

with their fossil counterparts.

This approach took practical formin March 2016, when the French Unionof Chemical Industries (UIC) held a one-day event dedicated to the use of LCA, attracting over 50 attendees. A second day will be organised in Paristhis year to offer a practical introductionto LCA; it will probably be followed by another event in the Lyon area.

As a complement to this, a “sustainability”expert group was set up in ACDV in 2014with the aim of providing operators in the plant chemistry sector with a cleareroverview of the relevant state of the artfor sustainability criteria in this sector,in addition to recommendations forresponsible communication on biobasedproducts.

Since its creation, this group hasanalysed and combined existingreference criteria for the assessment of the sustainability of renewable rawmaterials and has published a flyer forACDV members setting out the relevantkey messages.

In 2016, the group published a “Guide to Responsible Communication on Products of Biobased Origin” [inFrench] for ACDV members containinggeneral recommendations and moredetailed information in sectoraldatasheets.

The bioeconomy mustmake use ofenvironmental impactassessments

The fact that a product has a biological origin does not in itself guarantee either itssustainability or its quality, even if its de-clared primary purpose is to mitigate certainenvironmental impacts. That is why assess-ments are essential in order to be sure thatthe bioeconomy’s very objectives are actuallybeing achieved. While remaining accessibleto all operators, such assessments require

indicators and therefore measurement, traceability andverification, and criteria that must evolve along withadvances in knowledge and differences in situations.Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) provides a holistic approachand can in principle enable comparisons to be made.While LCA has been successfully mastered and appliedfor industrial processes, its application upstream (infarming, forestry, aquaculture, etc.) has limitations in-sofar as it yields results that vary extremely widely ac-cording to the locations and periods studied, a factwhich demands further work on the methods. Thistype of assessment should be applied on a multiyearbasis in order, for example, to take account of crop ro-tations, and long-term balances must be establishedfor forest cycles, as is beginning to be the case.

Generally speaking, a sustainable and competitive bioe-conomy requires the development and use of the mostadvanced knowledge where our understanding of bio-logical systems is concerned. Moreover, it is imperativeto gather together, apply and perfect the productionsystems and practices that are most sustainable andcompliant with the principles described above. An in-ventory of the current situation and objectives, inclu-ding the influence and application of general frame-works (e.g. the CAP, forest management, aquacultureand fisheries) will make it easier to identify and sharegood practice.Involvement of the actors in disseminating this goodpractice may involve pooling the risks associated withthe new techniques by adding value to them (e.g. withcertification and/or quality labels), and by giving officialrecognition and rewards to the pioneers.

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FOCUSAgribalyse: supplying the data for applyinglife cycle analysis to products from farming

The French Energy and EnvironmentAgency (ADEME) coordinates the

Agribalyse® programme in partnershipwith the French Agricultural ResearchInstitute (INRA), other agricultural

technical institutes, the FrenchInternational Centre for Agricultural

Research for Development (CIRAD), agriculturalcooperatives and the Ministry of the Environment, the aimbeing to construct a uniform, transparent database toprovide information on the environmental impact ofagricultural products. The programme sets out to providea harmonised method suited to the forms of production in France, along with robust indicators calculated accordingto the international framework for life cycle analysis (LCA).Since the first version of the database was placed in thepublic domain in 2013, the data have provided input for numerous projects linked to the environmentalimprovement of supply chains (eco-design), the study of food-related practices and the environmental protectionof consumers, for example. Both data and methods areregularly updated and enriched. This tool thus contributesto the establishment of environmental balances forbioeconomy products from agriculture.

L’évaluation des effets de la bioéconomie sur l'envi-ronnement devrait prendre en compte :1. les bilans en gaz à effet de serre ;2. l’efficacité et la sobriété dans l’utilisation des res-sources (consommations d'énergie directes et indi-rectes, eaux, phosphore, terres rares, les surfaces etsystèmes de production ainsi que les bioressourceselles-mêmes) ;3. l'entretien des services écosystémiques (dimensionbiologique) et les paysages (dimension culturelle) ;4. la gestion des déchets, des coproduits et la recycla-bilité des produits finis.

Ce système d'évaluation devrait être partagé au niveaueuropéen et pourrait être mis en œuvre dans le cadrede mesures plus opérationnelles. Cette qualificationest importante tant dans un cadre local que dans leséchanges internationaux.

Il est par ailleurs nécessaire, dans un souci de non-dis-torsion de concurrence et de progrès global, que lesméthodes d'évaluation de l'impact environnementald'une part soient utilisées quelle que soit l'origine desmatières premières, et d'autre part qu’elles progressentégalement pour les filières dépendant des ressourcesnon organiques ou fossiles. Cette égalité de traitementest un élément majeur pour le déploiement d'une bioé-conomie source de solutions compétitives. En ce sens,la bioéconomie illustre, dans le cas particulier des res-sources organiques, l’évolution parallèle souhaitablede l’ensemble de l’économie, qui pour être pérennedoit être dans son ensemble compatible avec les res-sources et régulations naturelles de la planète.

PUBLIC MEASURES ALREADY IN PLACEStrategic frameworks

* National strategy for an ecological transition tosustainable development.

* National low-carbon strategy.

* The agroecology project for France.

* National plan for the development of agroforestry.

Operational tools

* National pact against food waste.

* CAP tools: cross-compliance for support paymentsand greening, agro-environmental and climaticmeasures, competitiveness and adaptation planfor agricultural holdings.

* Sustainability criterion for biofuels – systemof voluntary schemes.

* Criteria and indicators for sustainable forestmanagement and associated managementdocumentation.

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BUILDING A DIALOGUE WITHSOCIETY FOR A SHAREDBIOECONOMY

The development of the bioeconomy is likely to leadto major changes in certain activities, involving newjobs and skill requirements, as well as modifications inlocal areas and daily life. Looking beyond the economicand technical issues, the bioeconomy thus points tosocietal change. This is so because the goal is to en-gage significant change in lifestyles by promoting sus-tainable modes of bioresource production and proces-sing, responsible modes of consumption, withsignificant reductions in the use of fossil carbon andlimits on the global negative impacts of agriculturalsystems on the environment. While certain aspects ofsuch societal change are imposed by current or ex-pected developments at planetary level (e.g. increasingscarcity of resources, especially petroleum; climatechange entailing action to counter its progress; damageto biodiversity due to modes of production andconsumption and climate change; urbanisation and agrowing lack of farmland, etc.), others on the otherhand must be chosen if they are to be implementedeffectively (e.g. preference or incentivisation for pur-chases of biobased products, their economical use, at-tentiveness to their end-of-life phase).

The inclusive approach of the bioeconomy thus bringswith it thinking that can be debated and assimilatedby society as a whole. Similarly, the reluctance – or in-deed the rejection – sometimes expressed with regardto certain changes associated with the bioeconomy(for example, competition for land use between foodand non-food production, modes of production, bio-technologies applied in open or confined environments,the exploitation of the living world, consequences forneighbouring populations, logging operations), raiselegitimate questions that it is important to listen toand take into consideration.

This means that the construction of a sustainable bio-economy must bring on board the vast majority of stake-holders so that ultimately it can become a genuine so-cietal choice. This major objective requires that thedebate should be informed by cross-correlated, multi-disciplinary and multi-actor expertise, outreach, consul-tation and transparent decision processes.

Informing and engagingthe actors

An initial objective is to inform those invol-ved (including the general public) on cur-rent issues and developments in the bio-economy both in France and around theworld, giving due consideration to the di-versity of situations across the population(professionals, students, the public at large,European institutions and European part-ners, etc.). It is an objective that demands a

framework for the production of relevant and legitimateknowledge for all actors.

An initial, fairly general level of information is intendedto help explain the core principles of the bioeconomy,the advantages of sustainable biobased products andhow the different uses of the resources are mutuallycomplementary (in line with the “circular economy”concept).

2E

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FOCUSAmbassadors for biobased materials:engaging and advising the constructionindustryIn 2010, the French General Directorate for Development,Housing and Nature (DGALN) put in place an action plan toeliminate obstacles to the economic development of supplychains for biobased building materials. To achieve this,various measures were adopted for the training of industryprofessionals, among them the national roll-out of trainingfor the creation of a network of ambassadors for biobasedconstruction whose core task is to engage, reassure andconvince public-sector project owners.

Two initial courses were organised in 2015 and 2016 by the Regional Directorate for the Environment, Developmentand Housing (DREAL) for the Central/Loire Valley region and the Centre for Human Resources Development (CVRH)in the city of Tours. This training was intended for variouspublic and quasi-public organisations possibly in contactwith development project owners and providing advisoryand support services for construction projects. To date,around 35 ambassadors have attended three days oftraining. All have signed the ambassadors’ charter and are in possession of a sample kit.

Encouraged by the success of this pilot training programme,the DGALN set out to reproduce the model in other regions.Seven CVRHs declared themselves ready to organise eighttraining sessions in 2016. The scheme will be renewed in 2017.

www.centre.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/les-ambassadeurs-des-materiaux-biosources-a2171.html

Organising debateto ensure informeddecisions

The creation of a space for debate with society at large meets the demand for en-vironmental democracy and is crucial tothe emergence of a bioeconomy compatiblewith the aspirations of the French public.This dialogue must set itself a collectiveobjective of ranking the arguments for advocacy.

The arrangements and forums for the debate mustmatch the questions to be addressed. For example, thecriteria for objectification of sustainability require debate at EU or even international level; questions ofethics and bioethics, and governmental investmentdecisions require debate at national level; support forindustrial conversions, local economic developmentand control of undesirable effects at the local neigh-bourhood level can be dealt with most appropriatelyat regional, municipal or intermunicipal level. Conver-sely, some topics, such as changes in designated landuse and choices of modes of valorisation of the variousnatural environments, along with impact assessment,require specific arrangements for public discussion.

While building a consensus is always a possibility atthe outset in any debate, it is not necessarily the pri-mary objective insofar as not all involved may sharethe same hierarchy of values. Due to this, the proce-dures for addressing disagreements collectively willbe an important issue to be dealt with in the course ofthe discussions.

The outcomes of the debates must inform decision-making, and where disagreement or opposition conti-nues to exist, the responsibility for the relevant choiceswill fall upon political representatives at the appropriatelevel of subsidiarity depending on the matters or issuesconcerned, with accompanying explanatory arguments.

A second, more specialised, level of information relatesto statistics on the various bioeconomy sectors, theresults of research work and information from actorsin the economy and the public (non-profit associations).

All of this could be brought together in specific toolsand passed on through vocational education, provisionof information and socioeconomic channels. Lastly,these informational efforts will need to be reviewedand adjusted on a regular basis.

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INNOVATION FOR A HIGH-PERFORMANCEBIOECONOMY

There are very many research and innovation issuesrelevant to the bioeconomy that relate to more thanone discipline; those issues call therefore for systemic,transdisciplinary approaches.

Understanding andassisting changes in global food systems

Food supply systems are fundamental toour societies. They support life and are vitalto the health and wellbeing of all citizens;they also have a strong cultural dimension.The bioeconomy must take those dimen-sions into account.The proportion of animal products and plantproducts in the global diet is changing, dri-ven by ongoing demographic and economic

shifts. These transitions will therefore have a quanti-tative and qualitative influence on the residual biore-sources available for non-food uses. The factors deter-mining food-related practices and behaviour and theirfeedback effects on production systems must for thisreason be examined in research with regard to theirphysiological, social, cultural and economic compo-nents. Lastly, excessive consumption of inputs in pro-duction, processing and food conservation processes,in addition to loss and wastage along food supplychains, demand an overhaul of those systems.

FOCUSPIVERT: the oilseed biorefinery of the futurePIVERT (Picardy Plant Innovations, Teaching andTechnological Research) develops innovative products andprocesses destined for use by manufacturing companies inthe chemical and food industries. Set up under the PIA(investment programme for the future), PIVERT is a bridgebetween the research and industry worlds and iscontributing to the development of a competitive Frenchplant-based chemical industry. Its operations are based onan ambitious research programme, GENESYS, a technologycentre dedicated to industrialisation, BIOGIS, and a group ofmanufacturers, CIP. PIVERT also runs an Institute for EnergyTransition (ITE), thereby helping to promote a sector ofespecial excellence in France by contributing to the creationof jobs difficult or impossible to relocate offshore. Thecompany is taking part in the development of solutionsaimed at replacing raw materials of fossil origin in thechemical industry, thereby offering new commercial outletsto the farming world and actors in infrastructuretechnologies, while at the same time enabling chemicalcompanies to add more renewable carbon to theirproduction. PIVERT is also involved in training operators inthe sector, identifying needs and helping to implementappropriate solutions. Selected under the PIA and given aquality label by the IAR, the French bioeconomy cluster,PIVERT’s ITE receives funding of €63.9m. The ITE alsobenefits from support from the Hauts-de-France regionalauthority and the Compiegne conurbation authority (ARC),each of these providing €4m.

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FOCUSValorisation of plant proteinsBy 2030, due to an expanding population and rising livingstandards, world demand for protein is likely to increase by40%. Alongside this, France and Europe suffer from highlevels of dependence on protein imports, especially foranimal feed. This means that there is an opportunity foradditional growth in this sector. France, given its expertise inthe farming, food and protein sectors, is well placed toachieve a leading global position in this market over theperiod to 2030.

IMPROVE is the first open European platform fully dedicatedto the valorisation of proteins. As the fruit of a public-privatepartnership, it exists to bring together all players in this field.

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The scientific and technical expertise provided by IMPROVEranges from fundamental research to market placement.IMPROVE’s objective is to speed up the commercialisation of new products with comparable or better characteristicsthan existing products and to support breakthroughinnovations. IMPROVE can add value to all European plantproteins and its innovations are essentially intended for thefood and feed markets, cosmetics and materials, with six core focuses: native extraction, aggregation and cross-linking, controlled enzymatic fractionation, physiologicaland functional properties, protein chemistry and consumerinteractions.

Awarded a quality label by IAR, the French bioeconomycluster, IMPROVE is a pooled innovation platform (PFMI)and has been granted funding under the investmentprogramme for the future (PIA) (€2.9m). IMPROVE is alsosupported by the Caisse des Dépôts (€819,000 in equity) and the Hauts-de-France regional authority (a repayableadvance of €1m).

Continuing researchefforts to develop outletsfor chemicals, materialsand energy

Potential and actual variations in bio-resource composition and structure are achallenge to the development of industrialprocesses for their use for purposes otherthan food.

White biotechnologies and the effort to discover innovative physical and chemicalprocesses together represent a scientific

front for opening up new ways of processing biomassfrom farming, forestry, aquatic resources and biowaste.There is a need to accelerate the development of effi-cient technologies for biorefinery and conversion intobiobased building blocks, materials and products, or into energy, in addition to technologies for the en-hancement of the performance of biobased products.Current technical pathways must be reassessed in lightof crucial issues for the emergence of the factories ofthe future and eco-efficient processes (particularly,energy balances, water and greenhouse gas balances,economic balances, closing nitrogen and phosphorusloops and valorisation of co-products and waste). Combinations of physical, chemical and biologicalmechanisms based on progress in enzymology, nano-biotechnologies, synthetic biology and industrial bio-technologies, should be promoted. It is essential toidentify precisely the scientific hurdles to be overcome,especially where microbial ecosystems are concerned,in order to understand their biological foundations, toexamine their interactions with substrates and to increase yields and flexibility in use.

Supporting research formore sustainableproduction systems andbiomass adaptation

Production must protect habitats or evenhelp restore them (biodiversity, organic mat-ter, soil structure, etc. It is necessary for thatreason to design production systems thatare more sustainable and to propose moreacceptable change pathways. Such systemredesign will demand interdisciplinaritybetween the agricultural and environmentalsciences and technologies on the one hand

and, on the other, the human and social sciences.

The new modes of production will be based less oninputs than on the use of ecosystem mechanismswhich will need to be characterised and understoodin order to make better use of them. Such approaches,including those collectively identified in the programmefor the agroecology project for agriculture, or sustaina-ble forest management, and which are equally validfor aquaculture, must be applied at scales larger thanthe individual parcel and across production systemscovering entire regions, and focused on the long term.

Such long-term focuses will depend on the efficiencyof organisms (microorganisms, plants, animals) andtheir interactions. It will be a structurally importantgoal to improve their capacity to exploit resources (e.g.minerals, water), to develop in habitats where abioticstresses are greater, more variable and more frequent,to withstand environmental stressors and pathogensand to be in synergy with the biotic environment. Thisrequires deeper knowledge of the fundamental me-chanisms (e.g. photosynthesis, metabolisms, associa-tions of organisms, environmental interactions) inconjunction with the mapping of genomes and com-prehension of the critical factors for their expression.Use of genetic leverage will contribute to overall effi-ciency through adaptation to climatic and environ-mental variations, open up new opportunities for yields,as well as the ex-ante design of harvestable productsto match a variety of applications and technologies,without ever losing sight of sustainability. This relatesnot only to traditionally used species but also just asmuch to others unused at the present time, which willfind a place in more diverse systems of production.

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FOCUSAgroecology farm 112: a common innovation platformheading up an R&D networkfor the surrounding regionEmbedded in a local region with farmsand agro-industrial facilities, agroecologyfarm 112 is located on a former militaryairbase. It is a locus for experimentationand transfer for and by farmers andgrowers. As an open-innovation platformfor the implementation of collaborative,multi-partner projects, from 2017 “Ferme112” will be given the means to hostoperators in research, development,training, etc. as well as firms active in digital technology and agriculturalmachinery, start-ups developing newtechnologies with applications in farming, among others. Farm 112 is a “trial and test area” at the scale of an individual agricultural holding,acting as a collective resource to enablesuccessful handling of the issue

of knowledge, innovation and technologytransfer to farmers and, in directconjunction with agro-industrialcompanies, the development ofbioeconomy sectors in the region.

On the ground, in order to address theissues facing agriculture (competitiveness,sustainability, regional development), the principles of agroecology will be putinto practice by six farmers workingtogether in a formalised agriculturalpartnership (SCEA) “Ferme 112” (farmingthe site’s 240 hectares). The project isalready reality with the following in place:

▶ five innovative crop systems aimed at (1) improving soil fertility, (2) reducingconsumption of chemical inputs andfossil energy, (3) improving crop systemresilience and (4) combating climatechange;

▶ one of five national platforms in theSYPPRE inter-institute programme,signing the first partnership agreementwith bodies active in applied agricultural

research. The Farm 112 project issupported financially by the AssociationAgroressources et Bioéconomie Demain(association for tomorrow’s agro-resources and bioeconomy), the nationalfund for regional infrastructure anddevelopment (FNADT) and the nationaldefence restructuring fund (FRED) undera contract for the conversion ofdecommissioned airbase BA112, theGrand-Est (Alsace Champagne-ArdenneLorraine) regional authority, the Paris-Reims Foundation and Reims cityauthority (for access to the land).

Making use of researchfor a regionallyintegrated bioeconomyand sharing value

Analysis of the availability of bioresourcesat the different geographical levels is anecessity for the development of the bio-economy. Evaluation of quantities, qualitylevels and diversity of resources that areusable subject to a range of conditions mustgo hand in hand with research (cf. 2C). Itwill be necessary to include biowaste, see-king synergy. Account must be taken of the

shift in the direction of agroecology, which broadensthe range of types of production and modifies the waysin which they are shared.

The social sciences will help by studying the respectivecontributions and positioning of the producers, industry,the agrifood sector, bioenergy and biobased chemicalsin order to identify both the hurdles and the creativepotential, followed by the allocation of value-addedalong the chain, in addition to defining the dynamicsfor change. The social sciences will also help determinewhich support and incentive instruments are most appropriate.

The bioeconomy leads to the emergence of increasedneeds for representational and modelling technologies,as well as decision aids, based on a process of definitionof biological and socioeconomic scenarios. Strategicforesight analyses will be imperative for informed pu-blic- and private-sector decisions. Such analyses mustnotably include scenarios for forward management ofthe local jobs produced and planning for the accom-panying training effort that will be necessary.

For agriculture, this new form of agronomics will befounded on precision farming that uses digital tech-nology, robotics and decision aids on the one handand, on the other, balanced and diversified productionsystems that are better integrated into natural pro-cesses (e.g. soils, interactions between species). Forforestry, the endeavour will be to adapt species andvarieties for climate change and new biomass appli-cations and to develop techniques and forest mana-gement pathways that are more effective and protec-tive of habitats, along with innovative processingmethods. The development of aquaculture will raisesimilar issues that need to be resolved, bearing in mindthe primary objective of reducing the effects of humanactivities on environments and biodiversity in aquaticand marine habitats. These revolutionary directions for

change will respond to a number of issues of impor-tance in terms of economics (production costs, perfor-mance), the environment (water and air quality, energyconsumption, etc.) or society and work (comfort, phy-sical stress, social cohesion). The questions of researchand innovation relate to the robotisation of agriculturalequipment, the optimisation of logistics, the assimilationof information and communication technologies andorganisational innovation as well as energy efficiencyand the water cycle.

All of the above innovations will need to be made anintegral part of reflection on how to increase the use of bioresources, particularly in connection with thenational strategy for the use of biomass (SNMB).

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FOCUSHemp, a driver for the local economyThe municipal federation of Beaumesnil canton (“3CB”)covers an area dominated by farming. Seventeen farmersgrow hemp, an activity that was hit hard by the terminationof supply contracts with the Mauduit papermills (72 France)in 2005. The project for the region in 2009 offered anopportunity to overhaul this local activity.

In 2011, consideration of this issue, with the support of the Chamber of Agriculture and the Eure Prefecture,resulted in the award of a rural excellence cluster (PER) labelfor the “creation of a hemp valorisation sector”. The projectexploits synergies between mutually complementary localentities possessing expertise for the production, processingand valorisation of fibres and oils: the grouping of hempproducers, the Le Neubourg flax stripping cooperative and Derivery, a firm manufacturing paints.

Involvement of the above, plus funding granted under thePER (€571,000 out of an investment of €1,955,000, includingco-financing from the Upper Normandy regional authority,the European Union and Eure département), providedleverage for the creation of new enterprises: CUMAChanvrière de l’Eure for the harvesting of both straw and seed, Huiles des Terres normandes for seed preparationand milling. Addition of a production line as part of thestripping process now allows hemp defibration to be carriedout locally. All of this has consolidated local agriculturalactivity. The partner enterprises see stronger competitiveperformance: a new range of paints based on flax and hempoils, multipurpose flax/hemp processing lines and a newpackaging shop. Ten jobs have been either created or madepermanent.

This has allowed hemp production to be kept in the areadespite difficult circumstances (major processing facilitieshave closed down during this period). All those involved areready to seize new opportunities to help energise the regionand protect water resources.

Successfully combiningand evaluating multipleinnovations in meta-systems

Innovation processes are complex in thefield of bioeconomy: they have numerousaspects that relate to equipment, the bio-logical processes used, the types of product,all of which interacts with social organisa-tions involving large numbers of actors.Some innovations go unrecognised, and bythe same token unexploited, due to the lackof any multicriteria evaluation or holistic,

systemic analysis applied at a significant scale.

Due to that complexity, the bioeconomy inevitably requires a meta-systemic approach for the whole rangeof innovations, and this radically modifies current re-search and development practice. Innovations mustbe made an integral part of production and processingsystems more aligned with economic and societal rea-lities. This approach would make it possible to conductmore comprehensive evaluations in order to highlightpotential contradictions in terms of benefits, costs andrisks. It could be used in “living laboratory” projectsthat co-construct experimental, participatory and eva-luative programmes. This would allow public and col-lective decisions to be built on scientific, technologicaland societal foundations validated at the appropriatelevel, as well as ensuring that support for the relevanttransition is more readily accepted.

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Using research to supportbioeconomy training

Development of the bioeconomy is essen-tially reliant on human skills. These oftenrelate to highly specialised disciplines thatour educational system takes to a high levelin the theoretical, experimental, economic,human and social sciences. The skills neededalso relate to abilities to integrate systemsthat are to a large extent transdisciplinary.Such approaches demand constant efforts

to decompartmentalise and to bring disciplines togetherin a common melting pot. Our national vocational edu-cation apparatus still lacks any holistic, integrated approach where the bioeconomy is concerned.

Looking beyond the higher education components,which are well underpinned by research, it is necessaryto include knowledge of the bioeconomy’s componentsand issues at an early stage in general and technicaltraining courses. Specifically, technical training in agri-culture needs to familiarise future farming and forest-wood professionals with the goals and issues of thebioeconomy, enabling them to take up their roles inthese expanding sectors. If the bioeconomy is to be-come a part of the structure of future economic andindustrial activity and, beyond that, of society, it willbe necessary to foster comprehension of its issues andmethods through life-long grassroots education andby raising the core awareness of the general public.This involves defining the issues and points of consensusand preparing for debate and controversy. Such an approach, which stands at the borderline between edu-cation and vocational training, must be undertaken inthe regions on the basis of proximity and must engageevery component of society.

FOCUSThe Campus des Métiers et Qualifications:“plant biorefining and sustainable chemicals”The Campus des Métiers et Qualifications (skills andqualifications campus) helps support, by dispensingtraining, regional policies for development of the economyand workforce. It is focused on making it easier for youngpeople to enter employment.

The Campus des Métiers et Qualifications for “plantbiorefining and sustainable chemicals” is an initiative of the Jules Verne University in Picardy (on behalf of PicardyUniversities), the IAR bioeconomy cluster, PIVERT and the Union of Chemical Industries in Picardy Champagne-Ardenne (UIC PCA). It is promoted by Amiens educationalauthority, the Regional Directorate for Food, Agriculture and Forestry and Picardy Regional Council.

All the above will work in synergy across the region to promote the sectors involved in the bioeconomy and more specifically those activities that relate to chemicalsand biology.

One of the main objectives will be to build collectiveprojects driven by all players and likely to attract moreyoung people into training that leads on to employment.

Thanks to this new resource, the actors in the bioeconomywill benefit from a comprehensive, organised menu oftraining courses for the bioeconomy (at levels from highschool +3 years to high school +5 years), and will be ableto highlight their skill requirements for all those in trainingor education (schoolchildren, students, individualsin retraining schemes, etc.)

PUBLIC MEASURES ALREADY IN PLACEStrategic frameworks

* The national research strategy.

* The Agriculture Innovation Plan to 2025 and the Innovation ResearchPlan to 2025 for the forest-wood sector.

Operational tools

* Funding for research and innovation under the programme ofinvestment for the future (PIA): measures promoted by the French Energyand Environment Agency ADEME (ecology transition demonstrator),the French National Research Agency (ANR) (measures for energy ransition,biotechnology and bioresources, etc.), FranceAgriMer (programme for agricultural and agrifood projects for the future).

* Bpifrance’s World Innovation Competition.

* The competitive clusters programme and associated financial support(e.g. the Unified Interministerial Fund (FUI), structural projects forcompetitiveness (PSPC).

* GRAINE call for proposals from ADEME.

* ANR calls for proposals and specifically bioeconomy-related challenges.

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IN SUMMARY,TRANSVERSEPROJECTS FORCOLLECTIVEPROGRESS

1.UNITING, BREAKING DOWNCOMPARTMENTALISATION AND CO-CONSTRUCTING A SYSTEMIC APPROACH▶ Between economic actors, civil society and politicalleaders: to build a shared understanding of the bioeconomyand its goals and issues, constructing a project for asustainable society.▶ Between different economic sectors: to seek out anddevelop synergies with a view to a resilient, effective circulareconomy.▶ Between scientific disciplines: to progress inunderstanding and handling systemic complexity, adaptingthe criteria for professional recognition of research workersand institutes.▶ Between the different actors in research, development and vocational education: to cooperate more closely andmore effectively for swifter innovation and inclusion of all the bioeconomy’s social, environmental and economicdimensions, notably making use of interdisciplinarycombinations.

2.SUPPORTING THOSE ENGAGED IN THE TRANSITION▶ Support for, and evaluation of technological, social and organisational innovation on diversified pathways inorder to make progress towards higher-performing systemsable to meet our needs for the long term.▶ Development of incentive measures for the location of new industries and activities in regions in response to the goals of the bioeconomy for the marketing ofbioproducts, and public awareness of those activities.▶ Encouragement and assistance for the conversion of enterprises and concerted regional projects.▶ Development of tools for evaluation and forumsfor consultation to facilitate the settlement of possibledisputes.▶ Development at regional and national levels of tools for monitoring and ex-post evaluation.

3. IDENTIFYING, ORGANISING ANDPROMOTING APPROPRIATE REGIONAL LEVELS▶ For disseminating information, education and training,and for involving the public.▶ For organising societal debate and decision-making.▶ For co-constructing balanced regional projects as sourcesof jobs and ecosystem services in conjunction with regionalstrategic tools.▶ For tracking the economic, social and environmentalimpacts of planned and completed programmes.▶ For developing transnational and/or internationalcooperation and highlighting French accomplishments.

4.MEASURING, ANALYSING AND IMPROVINGBIOECONOMY IMPLEMENTATION▶ Observation and measurement of the development of thebioeconomy on the basis of shared criteria and proceduresfor monitoring and ex-post evaluation.▶ Evaluation of the sustainability of production andprocessing activities for biobased products and advocacy for the methods and evaluation criteria at EU and international levels.▶ Multicriteria evaluation of the impact of biobased productsfor the human population and advocacy for the methods and evaluation criteria at EU and international levels.▶ Evaluation of the efficiency of support measures.▶ Adaptation of the programme in accordance withevaluation outcomes.

In addition to addressingthe specific goals andissues described above,the French strategy forthe bioeconomy will bebased on four majortransverse projects:

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ROLLING OUT THE NATIONAL BIOECONOMY STRATEGY

The bioeconomy strategy brings with it the idea of ra-dical change not only in the operation of our economybut also in our society and in the management of thesystems on which it is founded. The goal of that changecalls for support from and for all those involved. Thatsupport must take the form of coordinated, operationalapplication of the strategy described above.

The strengthening of the French bioeconomy must beseen in two temporal contexts, with a concern for thecoherence of the measures applied on both time scales:

a short- to medium-term horizon in which the aimwill be to pursue existing, and trigger new innovationsand changes, calling on the available resources (research,technology, finance, biomass),

a medium- to long-term horizon, marking the pointat which the bioeconomy will become a major com-ponent of the post-petroleum society, and where theissue will be the sustainable coexistence of highly di-verse uses for bioresources.

The first of these horizons calls for practical measuresto support and encourage the implementation ofconcrete projects.

The second requires the construction over time and inall relevant domains of a bioeconomy philosophy –economic, public, societal – that reflects the necessarychanges in the economy as a whole.

Irrespective of the timeframe, long or short, the roll-out of the French bioeconomy must be in phase withthe European project in order to allow France to exertgreater influence over European and global choices forthe ecological and energy transitions.

BRINGING TOGETHERAND FOSTERINGDIALOGUE BETWEENTHE ACTORS FORTHE ROLL-OUT OF THE STRATEGYThe bioeconomy encompasses a wide variety of acti-vities: upstream and downstream along all the valuechains and involving highly diverse uses. It calls forclose collaboration between the public authorities, eco-nomic agents and the population at large.Bringing the actors together and leading collectiveconsideration of the issues is therefore a distinct andfundamental focus for strengthening the bioeconomy.Shared governance of the national bioeconomy strategyis desirable, based on an approach that is to a greatextent interministerial and includes all stakeholdersand actors in society in the informational, consultationand decision-making processes on topics relevant tothe collective interest.To achieve this, the following is proposed:

To establish for the long term and strengthen col-lective action by setting up a bioeconomy strategycommittee comprising representatives of the differentsectors which, while interconnected, are neverthelessscattered across a number of trades and industries.The bioeconomy strategy committee would have asmembers the relevant sectors, the public authoritiesand representatives of society. Its remit would be toensure the coherence of public measures and policieson the bioeconomy, clarifying the interactions that mayexist between them; to facilitate dialogue between official departments and economic sectors; to clarifyongoing changes in the strategy and in the action planthat flows from it and to design a procedure for themonitoring and ex-post evaluation of operations andmeasures.To consider regional roll-out of the bioeconomy: thestrategy committee will act via the government’s decentralised departments and agencies wherever necessary to build the programme for and with localauthorities and especially regional councils already engaged on the subject or willing to begin considerationof it. Stakeholders are also encouraged to play a roleas ambassadors to regional actors for the bioeconomyand the French strategy. Exemplary programmes inthe regions can be fostered and capitalised in the national dialogue. Reflection with willing regions couldbe undertaken in order to work on a common frame-work for action at this level.

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DEFINITION OF AN ACTIONPLANIn order to ensure effective development of the bioeconomy, it is pro-posed to set out the broad strategic lines of an action plan. The mainstages in the establishment of such a plan are as follows:

Stage 1.A broad survey of measures linked to each of the six corethemes, making a distinction between what has been done and whatmight be done. This inventory will be based on previous discussionsor on new contacts if necessary. Due: Q3 2016

Stage 2. Prioritisation of the measures listed and preparation ofdatasheets for the new measures. Due: Q1 2017

The datasheets for measures must contain: • a description of the measure and the timetable for itsimplementation; • the targets and the means for measuring how far they havebeen achieved; • an evaluation of the impacts on existing systemsand the solutions for limiting negative effects; • the links with existing measures and supplementary measuresthat can be added; • the individual in charge of the measure, along with the partnersand the resources deployed; • distribution to all economic sectors of information on targetsand methods; • organisation of monitoring, ex-post evaluation and feedback.

Stage 3. Tracking the action plan based on efforts to link up withschemes already in place and contributing to it (e.g. strategic sectorcontracts) and specific tracking of new measures. Due: first meetingof the monitoring committee in Q3 2017 followed by annualmeetings.

More precisely:

PLAYING AN ACTIVE PART AT EU AND INTERNATIONAL LEVELSThe bioeconomy is the focus of action and broad-based discussionsat EU level. The Commission has had a bioeconomy strategy since2012. A number of measures have been implemented and followedby various French players. France’s active participation in EU andinternational policymaking, discussion and decision-making bodiesin the area of the bioeconomy is a major factor in the national strategy;such participation will make it possible to advocate French views inall these bodies and, reciprocally, to enrich national thinking basedon the experience of partner countries. The European Commissionhas planned for an evaluation and revision of its strategy as one ofthe measures in its “Circular Economy Package” adopted in December2015. Given the extent of its agricultural, forest and fisheries resources,and its excellence in the area of technical and industrial innovationand the development potential of its regions, France should play anactive part in this.

For this, it is proposed:• to benchmark the various European strategies,• to set up a network of French actors engaged inthe bioeconomy at European level in close conjunction withthe strategy committee,• to play an active role in European proceedings andconsultations.

At international level, the bioeconomy approach is also being orga-nised, driven by the OECD, the International Energy Agency, theUnited Nations Environment Program and the FAO. France mustmake its contribution here also, in conjunction with European actors.

MAKING BIOECONOMY PRODUCTS A MARKET REALITY

The action plan andprogrammes alreadyunder way shouldmake it possible …

…to identify the markets in which thebioeconomy can provide solutions andapply leverage (e.g. tax, regulations, standards) in order to facilitate market penetration.

SUPPORTING THE TRANSITION TO A HIGH-PERFORMANCE,INNOVATIVE AND SUSTAINABLEBIOBASED INDUSTRY

…to encourage roll-out of innovativeindustrial tools in the regions.

PRODUCING BIORESOURCESSUSTAINABLY TO MEET THE NEEDSOF ALL BIOECONOMY VALUE CHAINS

…to produce and use more bioresourceswithout compromising future productioncapacity.

GUARANTEEING A SUSTAINABLEBIOECONOMY

…to consider the frameworks for evaluationof the bioeconomy and to encourage bestpractice.

BUILDING A DIALOGUE WITHSOCIETY FOR A SHAREDBIOECONOMY

…to put in place a dedicated strategy for ensuring the widest possible awareness of the bioeconomy, relying on the actorsinvolved, and to initiate a societal debate on what it can offer.

INNOVATION FOR A HIGH-PERFORMANCE BIOECONOMY

…to consolidate the underpinning ofinnovation that benefits the bioeconomy, toinitiate transverse efforts and to link up withvocational education.

A STRATÉGIEBIOECONOMYFOR FRANCE–