Understanding Perceptions of the Bioeconomy in Austria—An Explorative Case Study

Tobias Stern, Ursula Ploll, Raphael Spies, Peter Schwarzbauer, Franziska Hesser and Lea Ranacher
Additional contact information
Tobias Stern: Institute of Systems Sciences, Innovation and Sustainability Research, University of Graz, Merangasse 18/1, 8010 Graz, Austria
Ursula Ploll: Institute for Food and Resource Economics, University of Bonn, Nussallee 19, 53115 Bonn, Germany
Raphael Spies: Institute of Marketing and Innovation, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Feistmantelstraße 4, 1180 Vienna, Austria
Peter Schwarzbauer: Institute of Marketing and Innovation, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Feistmantelstraße 4, 1180 Vienna, Austria
Franziska Hesser: Wood K plus—Kompetenzzentrum Holz GmbH, Altenberger Straße 69, 4040 Linz, Austria
Lea Ranacher: Wood K plus—Kompetenzzentrum Holz GmbH, Altenberger Straße 69, 4040 Linz, Austria

Sustainability, 2018, vol. 10, issue 11, 1-17

Abstract: The bioeconomy provides new approaches to deal with environmental challenges by substituting fossil fuels for sustainable, renewable resources and fuels. In Europe, this process and discourse has mainly been driven from a strategic top-down level. This leads to a lack of inclusion of societal actors, which can consequently lead to reduced acceptance and engagement. Henceforth, in this study, we focus on exploring how the bioeconomy is perceived, understood and evaluated by a wider audience. Through convenience sampling, 456 interviews conducted with students, employees, farmers and pensioners living in Austria provide the database for the study. Due to the novelty of the study’s objective and the consequentially explorative research approach, qualitative and quantitative social science research methods are applied. The results indicate that the bioeconomy concept is associated with various themes and visions. These associated topics also have negative or positive implications. Furthermore, a division between two visions of the bioeconomy, a technology- and industry-driven vision and a vision defined by regional environmentalism, can be observed. The feasibility of a future bioeconomy identifies as the most critical aspect. Sustainable consumption was mentioned as an important topic of the bioeconomy by the participants, a result that could be of particular interest when creating an inclusive bioeconomy, since it calls for active involvement of consumers. The study also shows that responding farmers tend to believe that the bioeconomy will lead to more inequity.

Keywords: bioeconomy; societal perception; laddering; survey (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (18)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/11/4142/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/11/4142/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:11:p:4142-:d:182017

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().