Connected circularity: exploring and designing transformative pathways to a biobased economy
The transformation to a circular biobased economy requires identifying pathways for profound change. The biobased economy converts biomass from land and sea into food, fuels, chemicals and materials. The principles of a circular economy are: replacing the concept of 'end-of-life' with restoration; shifting to sustainable energy; elimination of waste; zero emissions; redesign of materials, products and systems. Pathways to circularity and a biobased economy are crucial for a sustainable future. This requires transformative change: a fundamental and conscious change in technological, organizational, behavioral, market and institutional practices. This change is difficult because of the unconscious preference for existing practices.
In this project, an interdisciplinary team of Wageningen researchers develops these routes together with social actors. We base these concrete routes for a circular and biobased economy on:
ex-post research into successful small steps and their accumulation (e.g. Vegetarian butcher, Kipster, green deal Herenboeren;
ex-post research into failed or stagnating initiatives (e.g. 'new mixed farm');
experimenting in a selection of existing projects identified as small steps (e.g. Geofoods, Pixel farming);
ex-ante studies based on, for example, scenario development or back-casting.
The results are evidence-based and socially supported routes that consist of:
jointly formulated ambitions,
series of governance interventions, stakeholder activities and new business models.
The results will also be translated into a research agenda for transdisciplinary research.