Circular Bioeconomy

What is the Circular Bioeconomy?

Communities who support and rely on our natural and working lands are uniquely positioned to lead and benefit from solutions in the bioeconomy. Bioindustrial manufacturing of sustainable bio-based products must take place close to the sources of biomass or waste streams that serve as the inputs for these products. The regions and communities that surround our food and agricultural system, the leading source of this biomass, are often historically disinvested and socioeconomically disadvantaged. These communities also offer essential workforce, expertise, supply chain infrastructure, and market access essential for bioindustrial manufacturing to scale.

The bioeconomy is a broad term for activities that use biology to create valuable chemicals, materials, energy, and consumer products from organic material. The term “circular bioeconomy” emphasizes sustainable manufacturing practices and solutions that limit waste by repurposing biomass residues that come from existing activities, such as agricultural production, forestry management, and municipal waste processing.

Thanks to advancements in biotechnology, the bioeconomy is primed to transform global supply chains, generate trillions of dollars in economic value, and accelerate the transition to a green economy by reducing pollution from biomass waste and replacing the use of fossil fuels in the production of countless everyday products and materials.

We won’t achieve the full promise of the growing bioeconomy without agricultural communities at the center.

What is the Circular Bioeconomy?

The bioeconomy is a broad term for activities that use biology to create valuable chemicals, materials, energy, and consumer products from organic material. The term “circular bioeconomy” emphasizes sustainable manufacturing practices and solutions that limit waste by repurposing biomass residues that come from existing activities, such as agricultural production, forestry management, and municipal waste processing.

Thanks to advancements in biotechnology, the bioeconomy is primed to transform global supply chains, generate trillions of dollars in economic value, and accelerate the transition to a green economy by reducing pollution from biomass waste and replacing the use of fossil fuels in the production of countless everyday products and materials.

Communities who support and rely on our natural and working lands are uniquely positioned to lead and benefit from solutions in the bioeconomy. Bioindustrial manufacturing of sustainable bio-based products must take place close to the sources of biomass or waste streams that serve as the inputs for these products. The regions and communities that surround our food and agricultural system, the leading source of this biomass, are often historically disinvested and socioeconomically disadvantaged. These communities also offer essential workforce, expertise, supply chain infrastructure, and market access essential for bioindustrial manufacturing to scale.

We won’t achieve the full promise of the growing bioeconomy without agricultural communities at the center.

Why the North San Joaquin Valley?

BEAM Circular is strategically anchored in California’s North San Joaquin Valley (NSJV), a tri-county region of 1.6 million people consisting of the Merced, San Joaquin, and Stanislaus Counties. The NSJV is the ideal location for scaling globally competitive biomanufacturing. A global leader in large-scale agricultural production and food processing, the region’s manufacturing infrastructure and feedstocks are unparalleled. The NSJV’s proximity to the San Francisco Bay Area and regional centers of technology innovation also gives it access to world-class biotech and agtech innovation.

Recently, the NSJV became California’s first Certified Bioeconomy Development Opportunity Zone (BDO Zone). In addition to earning a rare AA Rating, the NSJV became North America’s first BDO Zone for Orchard Biomass, Nut Tree Shells, and Almond Hulls. This certification assures biomanufacturing operations can count on reliable, high-quality feedstock supply chains and infrastructure.

Most importantly, the local communities of the North San Joaquin Valley have rallied around a shared vision for the future economy and are directing local public and private resources to nurturing the growth of the regional bioindustry.

By aligning these competitive elements with targeted investments, technical assistance, and partnership coordination, BEAM Circular intends to catalyze the fledgling circular bioeconomy on an unprecedented scale–generating accessible, quality jobs, building community wealth, nurturing agricultural resilience, and advancing environmental solutions. Ultimately, the North San Joaquin Valley will serve as a model for other agricultural regions and a critical center of gravity for U.S. leadership in the future global bioeconomy.

Why the North San Joaquin Valley?

BEAM Circular is strategically anchored in California’s North San Joaquin Valley (NSJV), a tri-county region of 1.6 million people consisting of the Merced, San Joaquin, and Stanislaus Counties. The NSJV is the ideal location for scaling globally competitive biomanufacturing. A global leader in large-scale agricultural production and food processing, the region’s manufacturing infrastructure and feedstocks are unparalleled. The NSJV’s proximity to the San Francisco Bay Area and regional centers of technology innovation also gives it access to world-class biotech and agtech innovation.

Recently, the NSJV became California’s first Certified Bioeconomy Development Opportunity Zone (BDO Zone). In addition to earning a rare AA Rating, the NSJV became North America’s first BDO Zone for Orchard Biomass, Nut Tree Shells, and Almond Hulls. This certification assures biomanufacturing operations can count on reliable, high-quality feedstock supply chains and infrastructure.

Most importantly, the local communities of the North San Joaquin Valley have rallied around a shared vision for the future economy and are directing local public and private resources to nurturing the growth of the regional bioindustry.

By aligning these competitive elements with targeted investments, technical assistance, and partnership coordination, BEAM Circular intends to catalyze the fledgling circular bioeconomy on an unprecedented scale–generating accessible, quality jobs, building community wealth, nurturing agricultural resilience, and advancing environmental solutions. Ultimately, the North San Joaquin Valley will serve as a model for other agricultural regions and a critical center of gravity for U.S. leadership in the future global bioeconomy.