BIOECONOMICS – A NEW PERSPECTIVE FOR DEVELOPMENT OF AGRICULTURAL SECTOR AND ATTEMPTS TO IMPLEMENT IT IN POLAND

Abstract

The paper dwells on the concept, rationale and attempts to implement bioeconomics being a new direction in development of agricultural sector, which includes production of renewable biological resources, transformation of primary bioproducts and biowaste into products with added value. The essence of bioeconomics is supplying these needs with biological raw materials and primary products in closed cycle (considering the biowaste maximum use and processing). A key role in development of this new direction of national economy is played by agriculture. Really important challenge for modern civilization is bioeconomics oriented on balanced development by applying the latest techniques and technologies for using natural resources. According to these assumptions, the European Union, including Poland, has taken a number of decisions to create research basis and regulations for strategies creation that will guide the economy to the closed productive cycle path. An example of such actions could be the European Commission’s “European Strategy and Action Plan for a Balanced Bioeconomics till 2020” and BIOSTRATEGIAN research and production program implemented in Poland. In order to create basis for bioeconomics implementation into the agricultural sector, the Ministry of Agriculture and Regional Development established the project “New Strategies of the European Commission for Bioeconomics in a Closed Cycle” in 2016. Within the framework of this project, regional preferences estimation was developed and evaluated for development of this area in agricultural sector.