Review article
https://doi.org/10.21857/ypn4oc5qz9
Bioeconomic perspectives of food-technological development in the context of contemporary European policies
Tomislav Jurendić
orcid.org/0000-0003-3631-7838
; Bioquanta Ltd.
Abstract
Nowadays, the agri-food system functions according to a paradox where, as humans, we need food to live, but the way food is produced threatens the potential for food production. In other words, a transformation of the food system, which includes production, processing, distribution, retailing and consumption, is needed in order to respect human and planetary health. One of the possibilities of transformation is a more significant application of the principles of bioeconomy, i.e., circular economy, as defined by contemporary European policies, and as shown in this paper at the example of the chokeberry, as a model for other fruit and vegetable crops, but also more widely. A high-value powder rich in bioactive molecules such as polyphenols can be produced from chokeberries, and the pomace as by-product can be used in the production of snack products. Furthermore, the seeds can be used to obtain chokeberry oil, and the leaves to isolate valuable bioactive compounds. It was also shown how a by-product such as hazelnut shell, which is normally thrown into the environment as worthless raw material, can be effectively used as a soil improver around chokeberry bushes, although there are other possibilities for its use. At the core of this approach is a form of innovation that implies the production of high-value added products; it includes constant changes in the constituent parts of the food system (technology, infrastructure, skills and abilities), and a fundamental reshaping of the values, regulations, policies, markets and management that surround it. This approach as a systemic process implies that food technologies alone are not sufficient to initiate transformations of the food system, and instead ought to be accompanied by a wide range of social and institutional factors that enable their application. Furthermore, this method promotes a holistic approach, enabling the application of natural technologies necessary for achieving the goal. The holistic approach is manifested in the fact that in the search for solutions, it is necessary to keep in mind a more comprehensive view and to find and offer a complete solution, taking into account all aspects (technical, technological, legislative, environmental, etc.) that are indispensable on the way from research and development to the market. Currently, food production is at a crossroads between maintaining the status quo, for which there exist many interested parties, who make large profits, on the one hand, and a radical transformation promoted by a number of powerful interest groups, which, among other things, includes significant changes in eating habits, on the other hand. The shift towards the application of bioeconomic principles, as an alternative to both approaches, is in this paper illustrated by the example of chokeberry. Since transformation itself is a deeply political process, involving choices, consensus and compromise regarding new directions of development, considerable efforts need to be made in order to clarify the meaning of adoption, especially of emerging technologies, for the society as a whole.
Keywords
chokeberry; bioeconomy; European policies; food technology; emerging technologies
Hrčak ID:
343869
URI
Publication date:
27.1.2026.
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