Economies are institutions which should be designed such as to enable human flourishing. Visions of economy depend therefore on the underlying conceptions of human flourishing (a good life). This holds for bioeconomy visions and strategies as well. So far, bioeconomy visions and strategies have been articulated mainly by institutionalized agents from the Global North. They all are based on conceptions of human flourishing and ethical attitudes towards appropriate use of biomass and arable lands which are prevalent in these regions.

Are there conceptions of human flourishing and attitudes towards land-use which have been neglected so far within the Euro-Atlantic discourses on bioeconomy?

Bioeconomy strategies and visions presuppose normative commitments. For instance, if a strategy assumes that the amount of economic activities in a bioeconomy will remain the same as in the current Western economies (and that only the raw materials will differ), it implicitly presupposes that the current amount of economic activities is a desirable and sustainable feature. If a strategy assumes that additional biomass and even living organisms will be used as raw materials, it presupposes that it is morally appropriate to use biomass and certain living organisms for human purposes.