A BIOECONOMY

STRATEGY
FOR FRANCE
–
WHAT IS THE THE GOAL OF THE
BIOECONOMY :
BIOECONOMY?
It is the photosynthesis economy,
and more generally the living world
 is to guarantee food
security and sustainable
economy. It encompasses all living standards for current
biomass production and processing and future generations
activities, whether in forestry, by conserving natural
farming or aquaculture, directed
resources and the
at the production of food, feed,
biobased products and renewable ecosystemic functions
energy. of habitats,

That definition covers a wide variety  is to be efficient, resilient,

of sectors: agriculture, forestry, processing circular and productive
in the food and wood industries, energy over the long term,
production from biomass, production
of materials and molecules and biowaste  is to focus on the general
conversion. public and to be rooted in
local regions, contributing
to the development of

– economic value and jobs,

 is to offer innovative
solutions that are effective,
affordable and capable
of addressing the diversity
of human needs.
WHAT HAS BEEN
ACCOMPLISHED IN THE
BIOECONOMY IN FRANCE?
French industries based around the living world
are key actors in the bioeconomy. They are already engaged
in innovative approaches, helping new uses to emerge: ag

The different The agrifood

sectors of industries are
agriculture are using their
engaged in the co-products to
production of produce animal
renewable energy feed, energy, etc.
(methanization Biofuels
and biofuels, Energy wood
for example). Methanization

The forestry & New materials Certain types

wood sector and molecules of biowaste are
proposes a variety are produced from recycled, notably
of uses for agricultural and as an industrial
biomass, ranging forestry biomass fermentation
from construction media, fertilizers
timber to energy, or biogas from
and including methanization.
industrial lumber
and innovative
molecules.
 In France, nearly 1.9 million people are directly
involved in bioeconomy activities.
80% of French land is also involved.

THESE CHANGES
ARE SUPPORTED
gricultural forestry marine BY GOVERNMENT
biomass biomass biomass
 The bioenergy sector
has grown up on a
foundation of dedicated
biowaste economic and fiscal
policies.
 All actors have been
able to benefit from
support for innovation.
The programme of
investment for the future
has led since 2010
to allocation of €250m
in support of bioeconomy
projects.
Biomolecules  The energy transition
law for green growth has
emphasized biobased
products, especially
Biobased for construction and
materials public procurement.

Food

The agroecology project for France opens

the way to expanded biomass production
using more diversified methods with less
environmental impact.
WHY IS THE BIOECONOMY
A PROMISING OPPORTUNITY
FOR FRANCE?
La France : ▶ is a country ▶ can offer innovative and
with major farming, sustainable development The resulting
forestry and aquaculture solutions for its regions, strategy is aimed
resources providing input at strengthening
for a diversified ▶ already possesses
structured industries, all value chains
bioeconomy, thereby at the same time.
offering new outlets for transport infrastructures
these primary sectors, and industrial facilities
creating value-added and hosting or capable of
jobs,

▶ can find in those new

hosting bioeconomy
projects. 6
outlets solutions to meet For these reasons, THEMATIC
its COP21 commitments in 2015 the ministries FOCUSES:
on reductions in its use of responsible for ecology,
fossil resources and lessen research, industry,
its dependence on agriculture and forestry
imported raw materials, initiated work to build
a bioeconomy strategy
for France.

A bioeconomy strategy committee has been set up:

 to translate the strategy into concrete initiatives,

 to contribute to updating European bioeconomy strategy,
 to support regional programmes undertaken to foster the bioeconomy.
 1
Ensuring that bioeconomy
products become market
reality.
There is a need to make consumers and users
more aware of these products. Their quality
must be guaranteed through certification and
normative standards, and their positive
externalities highlighted, especially for the
environment. Public procurement can be a
4
valuable tool for their promotion. Guarantees of bioeconomy
sustainability.
2 Increased use of ecosystemic functionalities
for production that is economically and
Supporting a transition environmentally efficient, the sharing of good
to biosourced industry that practice and the ability to evaluate impacts
is effective, innovative must guarantee a sustainable bioeconomy.
and sustainable.
The value chains in the bioeconomy must 5
strengthen dialogue and synergy between
Building dialogue with
producers and processors of biomass, as well
as between the various ways of using
society for a genuinely
biomass, along biorefinery lines. Those value shared bioeconomy.
chains must also be flexible and matched to Through information, awareness-raising and
types of biomass production that are fostering possibilities for discussion, the
increasingly diversified and variable, reflecting bioeconomy can become a project for society
production conditions. as a whole.

3 6
Sustainable production of Innovation for a high-
the bioresources necessary performance bioeconomy.
for the various requirements
Research and innovation are essential to the
of value chains and society.
development of the bioeconomy. Some of the
Increased mobilization and innovations in applications envisaged in the bioeconomy are
production systems can help in the innovative and require additional R&D. The
production of these bioresources, while production and use of the necessary biomass
remaining focused on the priority of also require innovative approaches. And
preserving systems of production and the lastly, systemic approaches focused on the
ecosystems in which they operate. Knowledge bioeconomy as a whole and its economic,
of the resources is essential if sustainable environmental and social impacts also need
value chains are to emerge. to be underpinned by research.
 SOME PRACTICAL EXAMPLES
OF THE APPLICATION OF BIOECONOMY PRINCIPLES

They must be applied by builders who

have duly attended approved training
in the methods for using the materials
concerned.
Making the use of hemp possible in
construction means getting the benefit
of a range of positive externalities for
the equivalent of 1,000 new buildings
every year:
▶ using a plant that is a model for
Industry rules for sustainable development – requiring
construction using neither pesticides nor irrigation and
hempcrete: a tool offering longer crop rotation periods,
for opening up markets ▶ reducing the pollution involved in
to biosourced products building, with a positive differential of
26 tonnes of CO2 between a standard
These industry rules were established 100 sq. m. (total net floor area) housing
in 2007 in collaboration with the unit and one built with hempcrete and
ministries responsible for national hemp wool insulation,
infrastructure and agriculture,
▶ developing employment reservoirs
alongside a non-profit association
in agriculture and industry, providing
Construire en Chanvre (building with
qualified jobs impossible to relocate
hemp) and they have been steadily
abroad,
improved and validated by Agence
Qualité Construction (agency for ▶ providing thermal, acoustic, seismic,
quality building). They meet the hygrothermal and sanitary high
requirements for ten-year construction performance,
insurance, thereby opening up the ▶ using healthy, renewable materials
newbuild and major refurbishment (hempcrete and hemp wool
markets. insulation). 
 ▶ Geotexia (Côtes-d'Armor) involves
farmers, agrifood companies, elected
representatives and an energy
company. This collective facility can
process superfluous nitrogen for use
outside the local area while at the
same time producing electricity and
heat. Discharged water irrigates
planting areas for a local energy wood
facility.
▶ AgriBioMéthane (Vendée) is an
initiative by four livestock farms. Their
slurry and manure and agrifood
byproducts and waste are digested in
this plant. The biogas it produces is
purified to make biomethane with a
Methanization, production composition equivalent to that of
of energy and fertilizer using natural gas, which is then injected into
locally available resources the GrDF supply network and used on
Methanization is a process whereby a trial basis as a fuel for school buses.
organic matter is degraded in the ▶ Sur Biovalsan (Lower Rhine) involves
absence of oxygen. The result is biogas the methanization of slurry from urban
and a residue, the digestate. The wastewater treatment plants in
biogas can be processed to make Strasbourg to produce biomethane for
electricity and heat (cogeneration) or injection into the Strasbourg gas
biomethane (added to natural gas supply.
supplies or used directly, as vehicle ▶ Trifyl (Tarn) is a combined
fuel for example). public/private entity at département
The digestate has fertilizing properties. level. (Unused) residual waste is taken
Projects are being set up for one or to a bioreactor. The biogas this
more of the above purposes to reflect produces is used in three different
the needs of local regions: reduction in ways: cogeneration, biomethane for
greenhouse gas emissions from farm vehicle fuel, and hydrogen. Thirteen
effluent, waste management, utility vehicles, a tractor and a general-
continuous production of renewable use tipper truck run on biomethane
energy and fertilizer, creation of value- fuel. Trifyl is also involved in a project
added for producers of biowaste, for conducting trials of biogas
and more. processing to make hydrogen. 
 TO
FIND OUT
MORE:
agriculture.gouv.fr/
la-bioeconomie-
un-foisonnement-
de-projets

Tembec in Tartas in France’s

Landes region: conversion A BIOECONOMY
of a cellulose pulp mill into STRATEGY
a lignocellulose biorefinery FOR FRANCE
–
In 1994 Tembec, a forest product
group, decided to purchase a cellulose
pulp mill in the Landes owned at the
time by the Saint Gobain group. By
2016 the plant had been totally
transformed and provides an example
of industrial diversification for a
sustainable and profitable
bioeconomy.
The business model for the company
was overhauled first, positioning it in a
specialty market: production of
dissolving pulp for high value-added
chemical uses in the pharmaceutical
and food industries.
The other components of the wood –
the raw material for the biorefinery –
are also processed for the chemicals
market: industrial lignins and tall oil
soaps (resin).
The biorefinery operations involved
are energy-intensive: the fuels burned
by the plant are now exclusively of
plant origin (non-paper forest biomass
and black liquor from papermaking).
This industrial complex required major
The thermal energy generated is investment from the Tembec group
converted into green electricity which (more than €150m over 20 years), a
is sold on to the national supplier. continuous R&D effort and financial
These changes have also led to a support from institutional partners at
significant reduction in the site’s the national, regional and
environmental impact. département levels. 