Sustaining Biomaterials in Bioeconomy: Roles of Education and Learning in Mekong River Basin

Abstract

The demands to improve the livelihood of small farmers require a systemic shift from fossil fuel-based and destructive approaches to sustainable renewable raw materials and non-destructive approaches. This should be accompanied by a fundamental reorganization of education and learning policies to create new bio-oriented value chains for biomaterials, food, wood, and energy, as well as in large parts of the health, manufacturing, and service industries. In the long run, the successful implementation of bio-oriented production depends on the systemic linking of both first- and second-hand learning in communities in rural as well as urban settings. The purpose of this paper is to present a concept for the co-design of a new curriculum to better equip new graduates with the ability to support the effort of the sustainable production of biomaterials that are non-destructive to the environment. To sustain biomaterials and enhance non-destructive ways of thinking, learning needs a community of practice in both online and onsite platforms—allowing students to better understand and support cascade use. Therefore, the use of by-products and recycling products after use will increase in importance. A community of practice, and institutions, must create education and learning platforms for improved actions regarding biomaterials across generations and experiences, which will subsequently be integrated into the circular value chains of the bioeconomy. The first- and second-hand learning to sustain these value chains depends on higher education and learning institutions with both legal mandates and systems approaches.