Catalonia joins Bioregions Facility
The government of Catalonia is joining the Bioregions Facility – as its fourth member – through its Ministry of Climate Action, Food and Rural Agenda. Catalonia is one of Europe’s most innovative regions, has a large bioeconomy potential and is already providing valuable contributions to the Bioregions Facility.
According to Jaume Sió, Head of the Technical Cabinet of the Ministry of Climate Action, Food and Rural Agenda of the Catalan government, “For Catalonia, becoming a member of Bioregions Facility is a firm step to continue advancing in the implementation and dissemination of the Catalan Bioeconomy Strategy 2030 (EBC 2030), especially in the fields of forestry and creation of resilient agroforestry landscapes. For us, promoting interregional cooperation is key to positioning Catalonia as a region that works to achieve the circular bioeconomy at the European level. It also offers a great opportunity to exchange experiences and successful practices with other regions, as well as strengthen the Catalan forest bioeconomy ecosystem.”
Catalan Bioeconomy Strategy
The Catalan Bioeconomy Strategy 2030, approved in September 2021, aims to strengthen the growth and sustainable development of the Catalan economy by promoting the production of biological resources as well as local and renewable processes. The First Action Plan 2022–2024 of the Strategy contemplates 15 Transformative Actions with a funding of over €200 million. This Plan also prioritises four value chains:
1) Improvement in forest management and the use of forest resources.
2) Creation of resilient agroforestry landscapes and the sustainable provision of ecosystem services.
3) Recovery of coproducts and by-products from the food chain.
4) Resource recovery from livestock waste and organic waste.
In relation to the first two forest-related value chains, the strategy aims to increase the use of forest resources by 30% by 2030, this within a multifunctional landscape perspective, and an emphasis on the agroforestry mosaic. This approach will help create and maintain more cohesive communities and more resilient landscapes, preserving biodiversity and promoting economic and social development.
The EBC 2030 is a cross-cutting, forward-looking strategy seeking to enhance the sustainability and competitiveness of every sector involved – particularly the primary sector. It focuses on underdeveloped value chains and uses knowledge generation as a driver for change. Creating quality jobs and anchoring population to the rural environment are also fundamental pillars of the Strategy.
Discover the Catalan Bioeconomy Strategy 2030 factsheet!
Forest bioeconomy in action
The implementation of the bioeconomy needs to be guided by several principles; Mr. Jaume Sió highlights the following three principles:
1) Bioeconomy should contribute to stopping the loss of biodiversity and preserving our natural heritage. We should work in favour of nature, not against it.
2) Bioeconomy cannot compromise or compete with food production. We cannot divert our capacity to produce food to generate energy or materials.
3) Bioeconomy is a great opportunity to create partnerships between urban and rural areas.
Bioregions Facility is open to new regions
Any European region making tangible advances towards the forest-based bioeconomy – committed to sustainable, circular actions that consider the landscape and forest resources in a holistic way – can apply to become one of the Bioregions.