From Circular Bioeconomy to Crisis Response: Bio-based Innovations in Humanitarian Action – A Theoretical and Practical Approach
This article presents the key strategic, theoretical and practical findings of the Bio4HUMAN project on the timely topic of “bio-based innovations”. The analysis is underpinned by an assessment of the “innovativeness” of the solutions selected by Bio4HUMAN and is simultaneously situated within the broader framework of humanitarian and social innovation.
Article authors: Artur Sobolewski, PRO CIVIS; Andrea Motola, Enspire Science; Abi Glaser, Enspire Science.
The general objective of the Bio4HUMAN project [1] is to assess the scope to which bio-based innovative technological solutions and bio-based systems have the potential to be applied under humanitarian contexts, while simultaneously delivering a positive effect on the environment, in particular on solid waste management. Over the course of the project, both the theoretical and practical dimensions of bio-based innovative solutions have been examined. To translate these conceptual insights into real-world relevance, the practical scoping for bio-based innovations focused specifically on products and technologies with clear application potential in humanitarian contexts has taken place.
In this respect, these humanitarian contexts act as proper stress tests for bio-based innovations, because they expose the bio-based solutions to the most demanding combinations of urgency, scarcity, and complexity. In emergencies, bio-based solutions must perform reliably under time pressure, limited infrastructure, and disrupted supply chains, leaving little room for failure or lengthy adjustment. As a result, these settings test robustness and simplicity, as products, services and technologies must function in extreme climates, rough handling, and temporary installations. Moreover, because users are crisis-affected populations, bio–based innovations are tested against real human needs, dignity, and safety rather than controlled laboratory assumptions. Finally, humanitarian operations are often carried out under fragile ecosystems, also making solid waste management a persistent challenge.
Against these humanitarian contexts’ background, the Bio4HUMAN project explores whether bio-based innovations can offer effective, sustainable and realistic alternatives to conventional, fossil-based solutions.
1. “Bio-based innovations” from strategic, theoretical and practical perspectives
1.1 The strategic perspective
The EU 2018 Bioeconomy Strategy and its Action Plan [2] laid great emphasis on the circular character of the bioeconomy. According to these documents, one of the factors contributing strongly to reaching the circular economy targets shall be the application-driven bio-based innovations, particular in the fields of resource efficiency, use of waste, supply of green carbon to the economy and greenhouse gas savings. The EU Bioeconomy Strategy published in November 2025 [3] puts even more emphasis on bio-based innovations. Scaling innovation and investments in order to build a sustainable and a nature-positive bioeconomy is the first of its 4 main strategic pillars [4]. Findings from the Bio4HUMAN project indicate that innovation is likewise prioritised in national bioeconomy strategies. In particular, the Latvian Bioeconomy Strategy 2030 [5], Ireland’s Bioeconomy Action Plan 2023-2025 [6] and the Bioeconomy Strategy of the German Federal Government [7] all highlight the importance of innovations for the given national economies. According to these strategic frameworks, the innovative approaches shall serve the efficient and sustainable exploitation of natural resources in order to grow national economies and provide higher added value.
1.2 The theoretical perspective
From the research conducted by Bio4HUMAN, it is understood that the “bio–based innovations” are those which harness:
- The potential of living organisms from land, aquatic and marine habitats,
- Nature’s biological functions and processes,
- The available technologies,
– for the sustainable sourcing, industrial processing and conversion of biomass into bio-based materials, products, services and practices; these innovative processes, products and applications offer new economic activities for all bio-based sectors [8] and contribute to the renewal of the EU industrial base, simultaneously strengthening its sustainability [9].
Looking at the term “bio-based innovations” from the perspective of essential bioeconomy activities, the Bio4HUMAN consortium defined “bio-based innovations” as: “Novel and effective ideas, concepts, models, methods, products or services addressing the existing challenges in the substantive areas constituting the bioeconomy and the circular bioeconomy paradigm, i.e.:
- Sustainable biomass sourcing
- The cascading use of biomass
- Use of wastes and residues as a resource
- Integrated multi-output production chains (e.g. biorefineries)
- Maintaining the value of products, materials and resources for as long as possible
- Recycling and waste management
- Circular and durable product design.” [10]
In general terms, bio-based innovations aim to deliver sustainable products, reduce and valorise waste, support efficient land- and aquatic-based production, and help remediate environmental pollution.
From the perspective of the Bio4HUMAN project, the objective areas for the potential creation and delivery of bio–based innovations include inter alia:
- Bio-based products that are wholly or partly derived from materials of biological origin, excluding materials embedded in geological formations and/or fossilized; these products exercise potentially better recovery and recycling options, low toxicity and often high biodegradability or compostability. Such characteristics are particularly relevant in humanitarian interventions, where waste management infrastructure is limited, disposal options are constrained, and the accumulation of non-recoverable waste poses environmental, health, and operational risks.
- The emphasis on safer materials, circularity, and reduced environmental footprint aligns with the sustainability and environmental responsibility strategies adopted by major humanitarian organisations, such as United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and International Committee of the Red Cross, which increasingly promote environmentally sustainable procurement, waste reduction, and pollution prevention in humanitarian operations.
- Use of biomass as feedstock; this also refers to the potentially innovative ways of utilizing biological waste from households, animals and food production, which is of particular relevance in humanitarian operations, where unmanaged organic waste can pose environmental, health, and logistical challenges.
- Biotechnologies in solid waste management being the process of application of science and technology to the living and non-living materials for the treatment and disposal of solid waste in controlled condition without disturbing the ecosystem. Among the technologies available and applicable within the scope of the humanitarian purposes, composting, bioremediation, black soldier fly biowaste processing and wastes biorefineries take center stage.
1.3 The practical perspective
In practical terms, “the bio-based innovations” may take the form of:
- Solutions for replacing non–renewable materials with concrete products conveying sustainability;
- Solutions for transforming the waste and utilizing it for innovative products with high energy efficiency and low impact on the natural environment;
- New and original applications of residues – as standalone resources or after further processing and mixing;
- Innovative production methods for properly utilizing biobased side streams;
- Models for comprehensive biomass management [11].
The very concrete examples of the scoped “bio-based innovations” potentially applicable to humanitarian purposes are presented in the next section.
2. The “innovativeness” of the bio-based solutions selected by Bio4HUMAN
One of the main tasks of the Bio4HUMAN project was to deliver on the identification of existing (or being under current development) innovative technological solutions and bio-based systems, which may constitute the bio economical response to the needs and difficulties faced by the humanitarian aid sector in solid waste management issues.
The actual process of scoping for bio-based solutions took the form of surveying Bio-based Industries Consortium [12] entities (members and associate members) and analyzing various data sets, including:
- Outcomes of innovative projects financed within the Horizon Europe framework [13], in particular projects supported by the Circular Bio–based Europe Joint Undertaking initiative [14],
- The lists compiled by national and international organisations advocating for the bio-based solutions,
- The international patents verified by the research tool Derwent Innovation, and
- The European awards given to the exceptionally innovative bio-based products and technologies.
During the scoping process, the key areas for the creation and delivery of bio-based innovations were taken into account. The consortium tried to look for innovative solutions, often at lower TRLs, some of them even controversial at first sight – for example such “out of box” ideas as “starch-based biopolymer active, intelligent food packaging” [15] and “polystyrene-consuming lesser mealworm [16]”.
Altogether, 81 solutions have been scoped and presented by Bio4HUMAN consortium in a more detailed form. Then, after careful consideration and the examination of these bio-based solutions against the pre-defined criteria (one of which was the innovativeness of the presented solutions and their potential to replace the fossil-based counterparts [17]), the final list of 27 products and technologies has been established. The list comprises solutions with varying TRLs, ranging from TRL 2 to TRL 9. Some of the solutions exercise high innovative, even disruptive potential.
The representative examples of the scoped “bio-based innovations” potentially applicable to humanitarian purposes are:
- Mycelium protective material – this innovative bio-based solution consists of a combination of protective mailers made from mycelium and waste from the woodworking or agricultural industry. The mycelium is a dense network of fine filaments, called hyphae, that permeate the soil or other substrate where the fungus grows. The mycelium is the basic life system of the fungus, responsible for absorbing nutrients and water. The mycelium serves here as a natural binder that strengthens the otherwise loose raw material. The MYCO provider company is able to produce the bio–based mycelium protective material in less expensive way in comparison to other bio–based solutions and on the same cost level as plastics foams. The function of the material is to offer products protection while they are transported, incl. the humanitarian transports. Moreover, the MYCO technology is a simple patent of growing mushrooms on waste, and it could be easily transferred also to African humanitarian locations.
- Monta Biopack® Adhesive Tape – this self-adhesive tape is made from about 90% renewable resources, featuring a bio-based PLA film with natural rubber adhesive.
It offers strong adhesion, low elongation, and easy hand treatability. Designed for sealing biodegradable bags, films, and sustainable packaging, it is also suitable for sealing medium to heavy cardboard boxes, manual dispensers, as well as in automated packaging machines. The tape is certified as home compostable and biodegradable and was on the shortlist of finalists for the “Bio-based Material of the Year 2020” of the 13th International Conference of Bio-based Materials. The tape may be obviously utilized in humanitarian transport and storage activities. - Anandi Eco+ – 100% Compostable Sanitary Pads – the pads are made from materials derived from locally available agricultural and plant waste. They are compostable due to the fact that they are capable of disintegrating into natural elements in a compost environment. This usually occurs within 90-180 days, depending on varying environmental factors. The Anandi pad is disposed of by burying it in a pit and waiting for the compounds to decompose naturally. Due to the natural raw materials used to make the pad, this process is safe, easy and quick. Additionally, the materials used to produce the Anandi pad ensure that no toxicity is left in the soil. The Anandi Pad was the finalist of the innovation award ‘Bio-based Material of the Year 2019’. Each Anandi pad is manufactured in a ‘woman supervised’ and ‘woman employed’ mini-factory, which is easy to operate and maintain – proving the product, as well as technology, applicable in the humanitarian destinations.
- Product lines made from bioPUR – their mission is to reduce both direct and indirect CO2 emissions in buildings and homes by addressing key weaknesses in thermal insulation. They achieve this through two innovative product lines made from bioPUR, i.e. KLIMA-PUR Windows (high-performance, energy-saving windows with frames made from bioPUR, offering excellent thermal and acoustic insulation) and bioPUR Foams (a diverse range of bioPUR insulation foams for roofs, walls, and floors that deliver outstanding thermal performance with increased sustainability compared to traditional insulation materials). PUR may be obtained from renewable raw materials (resource efficiency), while being a fully recyclable material (circularity). These materials have a low carbon footprint (bio-based and recycled content) and reduce energy consumption in houses and buildings, making it relevant for the protracted crisis contexts.
- Single Stage Biogas Digester – it is a solar-supported system, operating anaerobically to break down organic wastes into usable products. The products include methane gas, water and organic fertilizer. The digester was developed by a team of researchers from the University of Cape Coast (UCC, Ghana) using locally available materials like stones, wood, cement, iron rods, nails, PVC pipes, copper pipes, and their accessories. The digester offers an on-site solution for managing organic waste and generating energy for farm operations. At the same time, it supports decentralized energy production by providing sustainable energy to local communities. The technology was developed within the EU-funded DIVAGRI project (2021-2025) “Revenue diversification pathways in Africa through bio-based and circular agricultural innovations” [18].
Biodegradable and compostable mulching spray – is an ecologically valid alternative to drastically reduce the environmental degradation caused by the periodic and frequent replacement of plastic films at the end of their use. The bio-spray (consisting of an aqueous solution based on polysaccharides obtained from renewable and easily available sources), is sprayed onto the ground, generating a protective geo-membrane covering the ground, which guarantees a valid alternative by performing barrier functions against the growth of weeds and maintenance of soil moisture. The film has a duration of approx. 4-8 months depending on the application and the type of mixture. After the cultivation period has elapsed, the treated soil is milled by motor hoe and the film becomes a 100% perfectly eco-compatible fertilizer. The spray to be used in the agricultural areas constituting simultaneously humanitarian destinations.
Looking at these selected bio-based innovations through the lens of bio-based innovativeness, these solutions clearly fulfil the assumptions outlined in section 1.2., by:
- Harnessing the potential of living organisms from land habitats, nature’s biological functions and the available technologies – for the sustainable sourcing, industrial processing and conversion of biomass into bio-based products and practices.
- Constituting novel and effective products and/or methods addressing the substantive areas of the circular bioeconomy paradigm i.e. sustainable biomass sourcing, the cascading use of biomass, use of wastes and residues as a resource, recycling and waste management, circular and durable product design.
The classification and applicability of these bio-based solutions in terms of humanitarian innovativeness will be the subject of next section.
3. The “bio-based innovations” in the context of humanitarian actions
While innovation has always been an intrinsic aspect of humanitarian action, the systematic recognition and study of innovation is recent, linked to wider shifts in humanitarian actors’ application of innovation management theories. With a 40% annual shortfall in funding, it is vital that the humanitarian sector finds more effective and efficient ways to address the needs of crisis-affected populations. Some of the changes may come about through high-level policy initiatives, but it also requires that humanitarian actors continuously search for new ways to address problems in an ever-changing global environment. Definitely one of such problems is the SWM generated by humanitarian actions. The bio-based solutions (products and technologies) identified by Bio4HUMAN certainly have the innovative potential to respond to the challenges of SWM in humanitarian destinations.
Taking a more systemic approach, “humanitarian innovation” is defined, according to the Humanitarian Innovation Guide [19], as “an iterative process that identifies, adjusts and diffuses ideas for improving humanitarian action” [20]. The dominant model for understanding the ‘what’ of humanitarian innovation is based on the classic ‘4-Ps’ model outlined by Dave Francis and John Bessant (2005) [21]. This model distinguishes between four broad types of innovation:
- “Product innovation” – changes in the things (products/services) an organisation offers;
- “Process innovation” – changes in the ways products and services are created
or delivered; - “Position innovation” – changes in the context in which the products/services are framed and communicated;
- “Paradigm innovation” – changes in the underlying mental models that shape what the organisation does.
The Bio4HUMAN catalogue of bio-based innovations clearly demonstrates that these solutions constitute product innovations that can be offered by humanitarian organisations. But, in the longer term, they undoubtedly are also able to influence changes in the mental models shaping the humanitarian organisations’ rules and proceedings (“paradigm innovation”).
When assessed against the criteria for successful humanitarian innovation, the Bio4HUMAN scoped solutions primarily deliver the following:
- An improved solution for humanitarian action: the innovation offers a measurable, comparative improvement in effectiveness, quality, efficiency or impact over current approaches to the problem addressed by the innovation.
But also, the two other criteria, i.e.:
- Wide adoption of an improved solution: the innovation is taken to scale and used by others to improve humanitarian performance;
- Consolidated learning and evidence: new knowledge is generated around the area the innovation is intended to address, or around the performance of the innovation itself;
may be fulfilled once the Bio4HUMAN innovative solutions start being adopted in the humanitarian destinations.
In practice, bio-based innovations have already entered humanitarian operations. These are, in particular:
- Shelter materials (mycelium-based panels made from fungal roots and used for emergency shelters and insulation)
- Packaging for aid distribution (starch-based films used for food packaging in humanitarian supply chains)
- Clothing and textiles (garments and blankets made from organic cotton or recycled plant fibers for displaced populations)
- Agriculture and food security (bio-fertilizers and soil enhancers from compost and other organic waste products) [22].
The bio-based innovations proposed by Bio4HUMAN expand the range of options available to humanitarian organisations, especially as these solutions exercise features important from the perspective of the humanitarian interventions, i.e. stability, strength, water resistance, durability, reliability, mechanical resistance, thermal insulation and enhanced physio-chemical properties. Even when taking into consideration the identified barriers for effective implementation of bio-based solutions in humanitarian settings, such as insufficient financial resources, shortage of human resources, insufficient data, inconsistent monitoring and limited awareness [23] – the humanitarian organisations will increasingly look for solutions reducing dependency on fossil-based materials, lowering environmental impacts in fragile ecosystems and supporting circular approaches in crisis response. These are the exact features of “bio-based innovations”, including the ones offered by Bio4HUMAN.
Beyond their humanitarian applications, these bio-based innovations also deliver broader social innovation benefits, which is about creating new solutions that improve social well-being and address systemic challenges. Such core functions of social innovations, as embedding environmental and social sustainability into solutions and promoting circular economy principles and long–term resilience, are very well represented by the Bio4HUMAN offerings. Taking into account the main functions of social innovation, the following solutions scoped by Bio4HUMAN could be presented as the representative bio-based innovations.
One final aspect to consider is the “management of risk” connected to implementing innovative solutions. Finding safe spaces for experimentation and mechanisms to promote “honourable risk” as a central value in humanitarian assistance is the first step to a more innovative and yet principled humanitarian response [24]. By definition, innovation involves
a degree of risk-taking: it is a process where outcomes are highly uncertain, and many factors outside the control of the innovating team can affect success. Innovation processes in humanitarian action need an appropriate relationship to risk, one that maximises the potential benefits of risk-taking, while minimising the potential costs to the intervention and protecting against any losses or harm to pilot participants. Evaluating and analysing the Bio4HUMAN-selected bio-based innovations through mechanisms such as life cycle assessments and applicability evaluation with regard to socio-economic and governance aspects, will certainly mitigate the above-mentioned risks.
Footnotes
[1] The full name of the project is: “Identifying bio-based solutions for waste management applicable to the humanitarian sector”. The project is financed by the Horizon Europe program under the Grant Agreement 101135144.
[2] “A sustainable bioeconomy for Europe: strengthening the connection between economy, society and the environment. Updated Bioeconomy Strategy.” Brussels, October 2018.
[3] “A Strategic Framework for a Competitive and Sustainable EU Bioeconomy”, Brussels, November 2025.
[4] The subject of bio-based innovations features in considerations regarding in particular: 1) the simplification of regulatory requirements and acceleration of product authorizations through the EU Biotech Acts; 2) the promotion of the use of test environments such as regulatory sandboxes in the bioeconomy, including in the context of the upcoming EU Innovation Act; 3) the reduction of investment risks, mobilization of blended finance, and the strengthening of the financial viability of breakthrough solutions.
[5] “Latvian Bioeconomy Strategy 2030”, Ministry of Agriculture, Latvia, https://www.zm.gov.lv/en/media/8049/download?attachment
[6] Ireland’s Bioeconomy Action Plan 2023-2025”, Government of Ireland, https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/a1bb6-bioeconomy-policy/#irelands-bioeconomy-action-plan-2023-202
[7] “The Bioeconomy Strategy of the German Federal Government”, https://www.bmbf.de/SharedDocs/Publikationen/de/bmbf/FS/31617_Nationale_Biooekonomiestrategie_Langfassung_en.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=5
[8] The bio-based sectors are: 1) primary sectors, i.e. agriculture, forestry, fisheries, aquaculture; 2) manufacturing sectors, i.e. food, beverage and other agro-manufacturing, bio-based textiles, wood products and wooden furniture, paper, bio-based chemicals, bio-based plastics and rubber, biofuels, production of bioelectricity; 3) management of bio-based wastes and remediation; 4) bio-based construction sector.
[9] The definition is partly based on: “Life and biological sciences and technologies as engines for bio-based innovation. Studies on support to research and innovation policy in the area of bio-based products and services.” European Commission, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation Directorate B — Healthy Planet, Unit B.1 — Circular Economy and Biobased Systems, January 2021.
[10] The definition is based on: 1) the existing definitions of “innovative solutions”
( https://www.reallygoodinnovation.com/glossaries/innovative-solutions ; https://www.pgn.global/post/what-are-innovative-solutions ; https://library.fiveable.me/key-terms/ap-hug/innovative-solution ); 2) the concept of circular bioeconomy proposed by P. Stegmanna, M. Londob, M. Jungingerc in: “The circular bioeconomy: Its elements and role in European bioeconomy clusters”, Resources, Conservation & Recycling: X 6 (2020) 100029.
[11] For concrete examples see specifically: „Boosting Circular Transition. Insights from BioBoosters” JAMK University of Applied Sciences, 2025.
[13] Horizon Europe is the EU’s key funding programme for research and innovation with budget for the period 2021-2027 amounting to EUR 93.5 billion ( https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-open-calls/horizon-europe_en ) .
[14] Circular Bio–based Europe Joint Undertaking ( https://www.cbe.europa.eu/ ) is a EUR 2 billion partnership between the European Union and the Bio-based Industries Consortium (BIC) that funds projects advancing competitive circular bio-based industries under Horizon Europe – the EU’s research and innovation programme.
[15] Bio4HUMAN D4.1 List of bio-based solutions Annex 4: https://bio4human.eu/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/D4.1-Annex-4-Packaging-products-for-food-and-drinks.pdf
[16] Bio4HUMAN D4.1 List of bio-based solutions Annex 8: https://bio4human.eu/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/D4.1-Annex-8-Small-scale-technologies.pdf
[17] Other criteria included inter alia: a) the assumed practical applicability to the humanitarian purposes, b) potential dependence on climatic conditions, c) the logistic supply chain application – in case of products, d) the scale of potential investment – in case of technologies.
[18] The full list of Bio4HUMAN scoped “bio-based solutions” with the potential applicability to humanitarian purposes could be found in the Project’s deliverable “The list of bio-based solutions relevant to waste management in the humanitarian context”. The deliverable is available at https://bio4human.eu/resources/.
[19] https://higuide.elrha.org/ .
[20] The definition taken from A. Obrecht, A. Warner “More than just luck: Innovation in humanitarian action”, Humanitarian Innovation Fund-ALNAP, 2014.
[21] D. Francis, and J. Bessant “Targeting innovation and implications for capability development”. Technovation, 25(3), 2005.
[22] Examples taken from the Bio4HUMAN report (public deliverable) entitled “Humanitarian sector needs assessment report”, July 2024. The report is available at: https://bio4human.eu/resources/ .
[23] For more on these barriers please see the working paper prepared within the scope of Bio4HUMAN:
D. Kuznowicz, P. Sobczyk “Overcoming the non-technical barriers for effective implementation of bio-based solutions in humanitarian settings”, December 2025. The paper is available at: https://bio4human.eu/resources/
[24] B. Ramalingam, K. Scriven, and C. Foley “Innovations in international humanitarian action”, in ALNAP’s 8th review of humanitarian action, 2009.