Factsheet: The updated EU Bioeconomy Strategy from 2018

The updated 2018 EU Bioeconomy Strategy positions the bioeconomy - spanning agriculture, food, forestry, fisheries, bioenergy and bio-based solutions - as a €2 trillion turnover sector employing ~18 million people. It sets five objectives (food and nutrition security; sustainable resource management; reducing dependence on non-renewable resources; climate mitigation/adaptation; competitiveness and jobs) and delivers a three-tier Action Plan: scale up bio-based sectors and markets, deploy local bioeconomies across Europe, and operate within ecological boundaries. The strategy links directly to the Circular Economy Action Plan, Industrial Policy, clean energy innovation, and the SDGs/Paris Agreement, emphasizing resource efficiency, biodiversity restoration and innovation-driven growth.