Working Group

Indicators, metrics and standards for the bioeconomy

Vision

Indicators, metrics and standards are the basis for setting up regional and national bioeconomy monitoring systems[1], to deploy bioeconomy at scale and to leverage financing for bioeconomy activities and establish open and fair bioeconomy trade. Under the presidencies of Brazil (2024) and South Africa (2025), G20 member agreed on 10 High-Level Principles (HLP) on Bioeconomy and started the work on their operationalisation. This will be continued in the COP Bioeconomy Challenge, in particular in the FAO-led Working Group (WG) on metrics, launched in December 2025.

The IBF Working Group on Indicators, metrics and standards for the bioeconomy will complement this work and advance understanding on the availability of data and approaches and the feasibility of implementing of indicators, metrics and standards for the bioeconomy.

[1] See e.g. EU Bioeconomy Monitoring System | Knowledge for policy

What we do

Focusing on selected value chain case studies, the IBF Working Group on Indicators, metrics and standards for the bioeconomy will:

  • Contribute to an inventory of indicators, metrics and standards for the selected value chains.

  • Identify differences in approaches and feasibility (e.g. data availability) across countries.

  • Identification of gaps in international standards for the selected value chains.

  • Collaborate on a research roadmap towards filling the identified gaps.

  • Inject findings to the COP Bioeconomy Challenge Working Group on Metrics.

Key Outputs

Publications

  • Policy brief with recommendations for R&I to fill gaps in international bioeconomy indicators, metrics and standards.

Events and engagement with global partners

💡Workshop at the Global Bioeconomy Summit 2026, Dublin, 20-21 October, 2026.

Participants

European Commission (co-lead)

Germany (co-lead)

Canada

Ghana

Japan

Namibia

South Africa

United Kingdom

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations-FAO