Research

The Bioeconomy aims at a transformation towards a holistic bio-based economy that is sustainable with respect to food security, biodiversity and climate change. Therefore, a major focus of our research is the simultaneous modeling of the economic, societal and ecological dimensions of the Bioeconomy in order to identify potential tradeoffs and synergies between these dimensions ex-ante. Through the combination of socio-economic models with biophysical models, we develop innovative simulation modeling systems that allow to assess the impact of drivers such as policy measures and climate change on all three dimensions simultaneously.

Bioeconomy, climate and energy policies

Bioenergy remains an important part of the Bioeconomy with respect to quantity and value. Biofuels are an important climate change mitigation policy in many regions but are criticized because of their competition with food production. To asses potential tradeoffs of bioenergy we study the effects of German and European climate and energy policies such as the reform of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED2) on international agricultural markets, food prices and land use.

Energetic and material use of residues

Agricultural residues or bio-based waste could provide feedstock for the Bioeconomy that minimizes tradeoffs with food security and biodiversity. Therefore, we study the potential of these residues for the Bioeconomy as well as relevant tradeoffs. One topic we are researching on includes the potential of second generation biofuels from ligno-cellulosic biomass.

A successful transformation to a bio-based economy will require structural change in Western countries like Germany that will lead to winners and losers. At the same time, the Bioeconomy is a chance for those countries that are still dominated by agriculture to increase agricultural productivity and reach sustainable transformation pathways through the establishment of bio-based industries.

We study the latter in our project LANDYN (Land and labor dynamics in the future of African transformation), which is funded by the German research society (DFG), together with the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in Washington DC. In particular, we analyze the impact of land and labor dynamics in Sub-Saharan Africa countries on agricultural production. Structural change and economic transformation pathways.

One of the largest consumers of biomass is the livestock industry that produces meat and dairy commodities. Livestock intensive diets in most industrial and emerging economies lead to increasing shares of animal feed being traded at global agricultural markets. At the same, more environmentally conscious consumers and the increasing availability plant-based protein products provides an opportunity for more sustainable dietary patterns that would set free biomass for the material use in the bioeconomy or biodiversity. Therefore, we study the potential of plant-based protein products for agricultural markets and land use.