SUSTAINABILITY THROUGH VARIETY AS PREREQUISITE OF TRANSFORMATION

Abstract

“Grand Challenges” that characterise our globalized world as high poverty rates, equality in income distribution, promotion and secure of fundamental human rights, food security, energy security, environment protection, are all “wicked problems” that pervade our world. They are ill-defined and highly-complex and characterized by true uncertainty. In the economics literature, the quest for suitable solution is linked to two emerging concepts in relationship with each other: the concept of sustainability (with its direction to a sustainable development) and Bioeconomy. The sustainability concept emerged in the late 80s and derived by the Brundtland Report as the target of a sustainable development while Bioeconomy bases its roots on renewable biological resources. Bioeconomy can have a contribution on the formulation and direction of the answers to “grand challenges” but, at the same time, this quest requires a broadening and a diversification of the processes through which solutions are obtained. Answers to wicked problems need alternative trajectories for research, technology and development. They cannot be solved through the application of an “optimum” technological paradigm. Variety of technological pathways is what enables the consideration of the condition of ignorance that characterises the “grand challenges”.