Cultivating a circular bioeconomy

The bioeconomy is central to Teagasc’s strategy, offering new opportunities for competitiveness and resilience. Principal Research Officer Maeve Henchion explains how Ireland has become a leader in this rapidly evolving field.

Maeve Henchion, pictured at Teagasc’s Ashtown campus, September 2025:
“I like thinking at a systems level, connecting the dots and seeing the big picture, which is important for bioeconomy.” Photo credit: John Ohle

The bioeconomy is an increasingly important pillar of Teagasc’s strategy, with the potential to improve productivity and environmental sustainability in particular by boosting the agricultural sector’s focus on diversification and climate adaptation.

Less a specific field of research than a set of interlinked practices and ways of thinking, the bioeconomy intersects multiple Teagasc research areas. To learn more, TResearch spoke to Maeve Henchion, who has been at the forefront of Teagasc’s bioeconomy focus for some years now.

As a Principal Research Officer and chair of the Teagasc Bioeconomy Working Group, Maeve is interested in social and behavioural science-based research on socio-economic and environmental issues, relating to innovation in agriculture, food and the bioeconomy.

What is the bioeconomy, and what is its background in Teagasc and Ireland?

Bioeconomy is the knowledge-based use and development of biological resources to provide products, processes and services in all economic sectors.

Teagasc’s foray into the bioeconomy happened around 2018. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) were active in this area at the wider European Union level and were aware of the EU’s bioeconomy strategy and its potential for Ireland.

DAFM then put out a research funding call, which I responded to. The resulting project, Bio-Éire, focused on identifying value chains for Ireland’s first National Policy Statement on the bioeconomy, positioning Ireland early on at both policy and research levels.

How has the topic of the bioeconomy developed over time?

Ireland moved quickly to embrace the bioeconomy. The national bioeconomy policy statement, led by the Department of the Taoiseach, signalled the importance of this area, with its implementation co-chaired by DAFM and the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment. This underlined its role in decarbonisation, climate action and economic development, and in developing alternatives to fossil-derived products, decoupling economic growth from negative environmental effects.

A key vehicle for progress has been BiOrbic, Ireland’s national bioeconomy research centre, funded by Research Ireland. I was a founding member, and it is now in its second funding cycle. BiOrbic brings together researchers and industry to commercialise research and coordinate activities, reflecting the government’s recognition of the bioeconomy as a national priority.

Today, Ireland is seen as a role model across Europe for countries developing their own bioeconomy approaches. We have contributed to the EU’s Mutual Learning Exercise under the Policy Support Framework, which focuses on sharing best practices for developing and implementing national bioeconomy strategies across EU member states.

What are the challenges surrounding this topic?

A key principle in bioeconomy is ‘cascading’. You start by securing the highest value added products first. The challenge is that you want to develop value chains so that you’re getting the right products produced in the right way and using everything as efficiently as possible all the way down. This requires systems thinking to understand the full chain of connections and the involved and impacted stakeholders.

Another challenge is that the bioeconomy isn’t inherently sustainable. For example, high levels of energy may be required for some potential waste valorisation solutions, so you need to carefully plan and monitor that aspect.

There’s also a social science perspective to it. We need to anticipate concerns of impacted stakeholders, farmers, the public and so on, and to address them early on; this requires sensitivity and acuity around issues of social and distributional justice. We need to ensure what’s known as a ‘just transition’, where decision-making is guided by responsible and ethical behaviour.

What impacts is this having?

In focusing on the bioeconomy as a dedicated area of research and policy, one of the main impacts has been how it unites a range of stakeholders.

One such example of this is the Farm Zero C project, which is a collaboration involving Teagasc the BiOrbic research centre and the Carbery Group, a major food producer in West Cork. The project is trying to bring technology on to farms that is sustainable and based on the bioeconomy and demonstrate it in situ for farmers. What practices can be implemented that are acceptable and attractive to both farmers, and consumers? How do these align, and how can you incentivise these either through market or policy interventions? We will be answering these questions as part of a PhD study in Farm Zero C.

The bioeconomy also requires creating new markets. For instance, developing standards and labels for bio-based products, similar to organics, will be vital to consumer trust and industry adoption.

Maeve says: “The bioeconomy isn’t just about looking at new tech or new products, but thinking about how to develop the whole value chain and the wider food system”. Photo credit: John Ohle

What research have you been doing in this field?

At Teagasc, our work looks both pre- and post-farmgate. For example, methane and ammonia abatement is a major area of research. A particular Teagasc strength lies in being able to integrate work across research centres within a connected system – e.g. looking at biofertilisers at Johnstown Castle, related food safety issues in Ashtown, impacts on livestock in Grange.

We’re also doing studies to look at farmer, consumer and the public’s perspectives on innovations such as anaerobic digestion, grass biorefining, bioplastics and biomaterials. This work can help us to understand the behavioural logic unique to each innovation, informing engagement and communicating strategies.

Another project, involving Tirlán, integrates the bioeconomy into the Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System. Working with farmers, advisors and others in southeast Ireland, we are finding ways to embed biobased practices into everyday farm management.

For myself: I like thinking at a systems level, connecting the dots and seeing the big picture, which is important for the bioeconomy. While certain areas need deep research, the bioeconomy isn’t just about looking at new tech or new products, but thinking about how to develop the whole value chain and the wider food system.

Who benefits from this research?

For farmers, bioeconomy projects create opportunities for new income streams and sustainable practices, making farming more attractive for future generations.

For consumers, bioeconomy research fosters better awareness and understanding, helping them make informed choices. Aligning farmer adoption with consumer acceptance ensures that changes are both practical and marketable.

For society at large, the bioeconomy provides environmental benefits, through decarbonisation, reduced waste, and new circular systems – while also supporting rural economies. Bioeconomy research on societal actors enables a just transition.

What has the industry response been like?

Companies are increasingly looking at ways to valorise co-product and waste streams. For example, in the meat sector, parts of the animal that were once costly to dispose of – blood being a prime example – are now being recognised as valuable raw materials when processed through the right technologies. High quality ingredients and alternative proteins are other areas of interest to companies.

Industry interest is also expanding into areas like anaerobic digestion, highlighting its role in future decarbonisation efforts.

What are your future plans for this research?

Future plans include continuing to develop alternatives to fossil-derived products and ensuring Ireland’s economic growth is decoupled from environmental harm. Roadmaps have already been developed for sectors such as meat, and more are needed to guide opportunities for Ireland Inc. at a national level.

Finally, collaboration will remain a cornerstone. Bioeconomy research is inherently multidisciplinary, requiring cooperation across institutions like Teagasc, University College Dublin, and Munster Technological University, along with industry and other stakeholder engagement. This is one of the sector’s greatest strengths, though also a challenge to manage effectively.

Up close and personal

What’s your favourite animal?

A dog! At one level, they’re companiable and loyal, but on a deeper level, they’re very intelligent and can be trained to do so much – they have such a skill in interacting with humans. So, I enjoy that combination of intelligence and companionship.

If you hadn’t gone into research, what job would you have wanted to do?

I always liked chemistry, especially where it could be related back to agriculture, so I would have liked to do something like chemical engineering, possibly with a focus on fertiliser.

What are you most proud of professionally?

Being part of helping start Ireland’s bioeconomy focus at the policy and research levels – and now the bioeconomy is integrated into Teagasc’s strategy. So, I’m proud of that and hope to do more with it in future.