International Conference on Management, Applied and Social Sciences (ICMASS'2012) March 24-25, 2012 Dubai

Bioeconomics and Sustainable Development

Dr. I. Sundar

survival of human species with the socioeconomic principles Abstract—Bioeconomics is a discipline originating from the necessary for the short-term well-being can advance the synthesis of biology and economics. It is an attempt to bridge, survival instinct so essential for the sustainability of humanity. through the concept of holism and interdisciplinary methodology, the empirical culture of biology and the literary culture of economics. II. CONSTITUENTS OF BIOECONOMY The present system of production of goods and services encourages the use of inorganic substances and chemical inputs. Consequent It includes biomass, biofuels, Biorefinery, biotechnology upon this life support system is deteriorated. Hence knowledge and and bio-education. awareness of sustainable utilization of biological resources is an urgent need of the hour. The traditional branch of economics does III. NEED FOR BIO-ECONOMICS not give due attention to the link between biology and economics. The economics knowledge on utilization of biological resource is an The dynamics of the biological system is changing urgent need in the context of achieving sustainable development. drastically due to the prevalent anthropocentric attitude which This paper deals with need for bioeconomics. It outlines the has to change to a biocentric one if the serve linear impact of bioeconomic model for sustainability and sustainable development. the globalised economic system on the non-linear biospheric This paper concludes with some policy measures with respect to role system is to be reversed now and to be avoided in the future. of bioeconomics in achievement of sustainable development. Moreover, the biocentric attitude is essential for the Keywords—Bioeconomy, Bioeconomics research, Sustainability, enhancement of the coevolution of the biological system with need for bieconomy. the human socio-economic system an towards a harmonious and sustainable mode of existence. To achieve this sustainable I. INTRODUCTION existence the human socio-economic system will have to be IOECONOMICS is a progressive branch of social science transformed from a plundering capitalist system ignorant of B that seeks to integrate the discipline of economics and the biological limits to economic growth and the intrinsic biology for the sole purpose of creating theories a better job of value of nature to a system whose activities will be adjusted to explaining economic events using a biological basis and vice the socio-economic realities and more so to the biospheric versa. Bioeconomics is a paradigmatic shift in the realities of depletion of biological resources and severe development of the economy-environment disciplines such as environmental contamination (Sundar, I, 2011). natural resource economics, environmental economics and Bioresources are important for progress and economic ecological economics (Akerlof, G. 1970). activities of a nation. But bioresources management and The classical economic belief that the biological system utilization for human welfare is very important and critical is not a capital stock and that the biological resources are component. The optimum utilization of the bioresources either infinite or are at best substitutable has done great awareness of the importance and implications of bioresorves damage to our thinking in relation to the planetary system and among common people as well as elite educated citizens for also in relation to our lifestyle as far as our methods of safeguarding and protecting the optimum and balanced way of production and consumption are concerned. Furthermore, it using the bioresources well for the benefit of not only the must be appreciated that humanity is an integral part of the present generation of our people but also to our future biospheric system and its development and evolution must generations for their better, healthy and peaceful living on the proceed in unison with that of the biological system; that is earth. Biological resources include genetic resources, they have to coevolve. organisms or parts thereof, populations, or any other biotic Biological and economical activities are among the most components of ecosystems with actual or potential use for important human endeavours while conservation, cooperation humanity (Barringer, G.I. Blanksten, R.W. Mack, eds., 1969). and coevolution are the rules in the biological world. The Marine biotechnology can be thought of as the use of domain of economical activity is dominated by an abuse of marine bioresources as the target or source of biotechnological biological resources, competition and mismanagement applications (Caddy, J.F. and Gulland, J.A. 1983). This broad (Aldrich, H.E. et al 2008). Bioeconomics, by integrating the understanding of marine biotechnology thus includes both evolutionary principles of Biology required for the long-term traditional forms of marine biotechnology like aquaculture and modern forms such as bioremediation, production of biofuels and genetic modification of fish. The field has already yielded Dr.I.Sundar is Associate Professor of Economics, Directorate of Distance some notable and wide ranging advances in the fields of Education, Annamalai Nagar, Tamil Nadu, India-60 002.

313 International Conference on Management, Applied and Social Sciences (ICMASS'2012) March 24-25, 2012 Dubai medicine, cosmetics, nutraceuticals, food production, and covers the interactions of the natural environment with the environ-industrial applications (Bauer, J. (2008). economic process under the target of sustainable development. Improving soil carbon through conservation agriculture in The concept of the Ecologically Sustainable Economic developing countries may generate some private benefits to Development (ESED) emerged in the publications of the farmers, as well as sequester carbon emissions, which is a World Conservation Strategy as a policy framework to combat positive externality to society. Leaving crop residue on the the environmental decay afficting our planet, a decay farm has become an important option in conservation mainlyowed to the increasing pollution and the alarming surge agriculture practice. However, in developing countries, using in the extraction of natural resources. The ESED has grown in crop residue for conservation agriculture has the opportunity popularity since the publication of the Burntlandreport cost of feed for livestock. (WECD, 1987). In it, the ESED is defined as “the Marine microbes show great promise for various development that meets the need of present generations biotechnological applications in the area of health, without compromising the ability o the future generations to environment and agriculture (Boyd, J., J. Sanchirico, and L. meet their own needs” or as “a pattern of social and structural Shabman. 2004). For example: developing novel drugs for economictrans formations which increase the benefits treating diseases, development of sophisticated biosensors and available in the present without jeopardizing the likely diagnostic devices, for medicine, aquaculture and potentials for similar benefits in the future” (WECD, 1987). environmental biomonitoring, thermostable enzymes for industrial applications and research, cold-active or cold VI. BIO-ECONOMICS RESEARCH adapted enzymes for use in cleaning agents, leather In order to promote the goal of sustainable development, processing, degradation of xenobiotics in cold climate, food the bioeconomics can be promoted in the following areas. processing etc and biopolymers and non-toxic biosurfactants Research into the identification of the immunological causes for environmental waste management and treatment (Conrad, of animal diseases is a fundamental requirement for the J.M. 1999). improvement of the quality of animal-based foods. Research The bio-economic is essential to replace the chemical inputs should also focus on maintaining or improving the quantity in the process of production of goods and services. The and quality of productive soils. To achieve this, new national release of green house gases could be minimized in the form and international land use schemes need to be devised. Soil of using bio inputs. It is essential to substitute the inputs in quality, land use, ecosystem services (prioritizing land use, production of goods and services. The bio-economics is national and international regulations on land and water rights; essential to practice organic farming and sustainable progress in agricultural technology. biological approaches to agriculture. It is essential to produce organic fertilizers and bio water purification on the ground, Targeted use and recovery pesticides. The bio-economics is very important to protect the of nutrients (interaction between plant roots, soil and environment and life support system. The production of goods microorganisms; optimization of cultivation techniques and and services through bio-economic method can increase the fertilization; closing material cycles; recovery of phosphorus, health status of the people. The bio-economics method in particular; development of plant systems that reduce develops green products and promotes green consumerism. ecological ‘footprints’. The pillars of the bio-economy are the The promotion of bio resource utilization depends on millennia-old procedures of crop farming forestry, the development in bio-economics. domestication of livestock, and simple processes of bio- technological transformation of substances. Photosynthesis, IV. BIOECONOMIC MODEL FOR SUSTAINABILITY which is used by plants to transform carbon dioxide amongst The concept of sustainability may be expressed as others into biomass, is the basis for life on Earth. The biomass multifunctional, in short, it could be said that there exist three thus produced is the primary raw material of the bio – functions. The first, as a basic support of life and human economy. Another important field of the bio-economy is how activities, is the biological. The second, of a productive to raise biomass production in changing climatic and character, is the techno-economical and the third is the socio- environmental conditions, with the increasing limitations on cultural; all of them are interdependent and interactive and natural resources such as water and land. Modern processes in they are all implicated in the ethical dimension and are biotechnology and land use management, for example, can compromised with biosphere (bioethics). According to the make a substantial contribution to reducing the regionally Bioeconomic development model the perfect substitution of specific impact of climate change. Expansion of the material different forms of capital cannot be taken for granted. Some uses of biomass using a combination of biotechnological and biological goods and services viz biogeochemical cycles are chemical conversion processes; new and improved enzyme essential for the maintenance of life support systems and systems to convert biomass (including the use of waste. New cannot be replaced (Martinez-Alier, J, 1987). and improved processing techniques to produce the desired products in greater volumes and purity, but also alternative V. BIO-ECONOMICS AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT processes, such as the integration of separation processes at Bioeconomics and sustainable development is a little that the reaction stage, to reduce production costs (process-

314 International Conference on Management, Applied and Social Sciences (ICMASS'2012) March 24-25, 2012 Dubai integrated processing. Breeding of cops and livestock for [2] Aldrich, H.E. et al (2008), In Defence of Generalized Darwinism, greater yields or output and specific characteristics (including Journal of Evolutionary Economics, vol. 18, 577-596. [3] Barringer, G.I. Blanksten, R.W. Mack, eds., Social Change in plant ingredients for healthy diet) and adapting production Developing Areas: a Reinterpretation of Evolutionary Theory, systems to exploit the genetic potential. Schenkman: Cambridge, Massachusetts. Reprinted 1969 in General Systems 14: 69–85. [4] Bauer, J. (2008), Das kooperative Gen – Abschied vom Darwinismus, VII. CONCLUSIONS AND POLICY SUGGESTIONS Hoffmann und Campe. Bioeconomics—a emerging of views on biology and [5] Boyd, J., J. Sanchirico, and L. Shabman. 2004. “Habitat Benefit Assessment and Decisionmaking: A Report to the National Marine economics—on the one hand invites the ''export'' of situational Fisheries Service.” Resources for the Future. Washington, D.C. logic and sophisticated optimization developed in economics [6] Caddy, J.F. and Gulland, J.A. 1983. Historical patterns of fish stocks. into biology. On the other hand, human economic activity and Marine Policy 7(4), 267-278. [7] Sundar, I, (2011) “Introduction to Bioeconomics” ISBN: 978-81-89630- its evolution, not least over the past few centuries, may be 9 Global Resarch Publications, New Delhi pp.499. considered an instance for fruitfully applying ideas from [8] Conrad, J.M. 1999. The bioeconomics of marine sanctuaries. Journal of evolutionary biology and Darwinian theory. Since many of the Bioeconomics 1, 205-217. [9] Martinez-Alier, J, Ecological Economics. Energy, Environment and features of the paradigmatic change that were introduced into Society. Blackwell, Oxford, 1987. the sciences by Darwinism may be desirable for economics as well, the question whether the Darwinian revolution can be a model to introduce a new paradigm in economic theory is explored.

VIII. SUGGESTIONS 1. In order to achieve sustainable development, the discipline bioeconomics should be introduced in university curriculum. 2. The Government should encourage research in bioeconomics in the form of supporting research programmes and research grants. 3. More number of research publications in the field of bioeconomics should be encouraged through specific research programmes. 4. The research on bioenergy, biotechnology, biomass production and green technology should be encouraged to achieve the goal of sustainable life support system. 5. To achieve the goal of sustainable agriculture system, efforts should be make to encourage the practicing of organic farming and low input sustainable agricultural practices. 6. In order to prevent the land degradation, organic shrimculture and organic acquacultural practices should be encouraged. 7. Inter disciplinary research in bioeconomics should be promoted through specific research funding and research programmes. 8. The biopolicy of government should provide the necessary incentives oriented towards the better understanding and preservation of the environment and all forms of life. 9. Effort should be made to teach bio education to uplift the spirit of humanity in order to reverse the crisis in value that has resulted in serious environmental deterioration. 10. The bio education should seek to apply environmental protection to every human endeavor.

REFERENCES [1] Akerlof, G. (1970) “ The market for lemons: quality, uncertainty and the market mechanism”, Quarterly Journal of Economics, 84, 488-500

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