2. Resources for the bioeconomy

The basics

As the name suggests, the bioeconomy is based on organic raw materials derived from animals, plants, fungi, algae or microorganisms. This so-called biomass, as well as its remnants and waste, can be used to generate energy or new products. This chapter provides an overview of the diverse raw material base of the bioeconomy.

Overview of bioresources by Anne Rödl (CC BY), adaptation by Jana Schultz

First of all, the most important basic resources, without which there would be no plant or animal production:

Land
Water
Nutrients

Furthermore, bio-based products cannot be produced on a large scale without the use of human labor, technology and infrastructure. Humans have increased the yield of plants through breeding and further increased it through mechanical cultivation. Without these resources, the large number of people on earth could not be fed and supplied with products.

What you should know

Four crops alone (sugar cane, maize, cereals and rice) produce over half of the world's agricultural harvest
In the USA, the largest bioethanol producer, bioethanol is mainly produced from maize
The most important oil plant with the highest yields per unit area is the oil palm