Publications
Beyond the Green Narrative: Sustainability Evidence for Rural Biorefineries
Authors: Eleonora Staffieri and Serena Zoe Spanodimitriou
Rural small-scale biorefineries are often presented as a promising pathway towards a more circular, resilient and sustainable bioeconomy. By transforming local biomass, agricultural residues and other rural resources into bio-based products, energy, fertilisers and materials, they can support farmer [...]
Rural small-scale biorefineries are often presented as a promising pathway towards a more circular, resilient and sustainable bioeconomy. By transforming local biomass, agricultural residues and other rural resources into bio-based products, energy, fertilisers and materials, they can support farmers, strengthen rural value chains and reduce dependence on fossil-based alternatives.
However, sustainability cannot be assumed simply because a technology is bio-based, local or circular. Rural biorefineries operate within complex environmental, economic and social systems. Their impacts depend on feedstock availability, energy use, logistics, process design, local context, market conditions, supply chains and social safeguards. For this reason, robust sustainability assessment is essential.
This booklet brings together a series of short articles based on findings and reflections from the CBE JU-funded project Rural BioReFarmeries, following exhaustive research conducted by the Bioeconomy in Transition Research Group (BiT-RG) at Unitelma Sapienza.
The aim is to make key concepts of sustainability assessment accessible to a broader audience while maintaining a strong evidence-based approach. The articles discuss why tools such as Life Cycle Assessment, Techno-Economic Analysis, Social Life Cycle Assessment, and Biodiversity Impact Assessment are important for rural small-scale biorefineries, and how they can help identify trade-offs, avoid oversimplified “green”
narratives and enhance decision-making.
Instead of offering simple, definitive answers, these assessment methods clarify the conditions under which rural biorefineries can provide environmental benefits, remain economically sustainable, generate social value and protect ecosystems. They also highlight how factors like scale, territorial integration, methodological assumptions and data quality can greatly influence interpretations of sustainability performance.
Overall, this booklet is designed as a communication and reflection tool for project partners, stakeholders, policymakers, practitioners and wider audiences interested in the rural bioeconomy. Its central message is simple: sustainability is not just a label, but an outcome that must be demonstrated, monitored and improved over time.