From "Bioeconomy Strategy" to the "Long-term Vision" of European Commission: which sustainability for rural areas?

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to analyze the current and long-term effects of the European Commission Bioeconomy Strategy in order to outline possible scenarios for rural areas and evaluate their sustainability. The focus is on the main economic sectors, with particular reference to employment and turnover, in order to understand what kind of economy and jobs are intended for rural areas, as well as their territorial impacts. For this purpose, we have analyzed the main European Commission documents and datasets concerning the bioeconomy and long-term planning for rural areas, as well as the recent scientific data to verify the impact on forests. The result is that European rural areas are intended to be converted initially into large-scale biomass producers for energy and bio-based industry, according to the digitization process, and subsequently into biorefinery sites, with severe damage to landscape, environment, biodiversity, land use and local economy. Scenarios for rural areas don’t seem neither sustainable nor profitable, particularly for the peripheral countries (Southern and Eastern countries of the European Union).

Keywords

• sustainability
• digital innovation
• bioeconomy strategy
• European commission
• rural area