NUBiP Science Festival 2021 unites the youth
The Science festival is annually held at the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine. This year, students of the Faculty of Agricultural Management joined the event with the goal to exchange and share knowledge and information. The Educational and Scientific Laboratory of Economic theory and Bioeconomy staff organized practical classes in accordance with the educational programme in Economics. The main topic under investigation was the bioeconomic development in Ukraine and in the world.
Sustainable Development Goals – 2030 were presented by a 1st year student of the Faculty of Agriculture Management, Alina Zherebko. In September 2015, the 70th session of the UN General Assembly in New York hosted the UN Sustainable Development Summit, which approved new development targets. The final document from the summit, ‘Transforming our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’, identified 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 supporting targets. Like other UN Member States, Ukraine joined the global process of sustainable development.
The EU plans to halve harmful emissions by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. If everything succeeds, there will be no greenhouse gas emissions in Europe by 2050, and economic growth will be linked to the use of renewable energy sources. European Green Deal was researched by Victoria Kryvtsun. Сlean energy creates opportunities for the development of alternative renewable energy sources, production support for sustainable and eco-friendly production methods, construction development of environmentally friendly building, sustainable mobility transition to sustainable and eco-friendly modes of transport.
Ukraine also joins EU initiatives to overcome the consequences of climate change. The Ministry of Energy and Coal Mining has already presented the Сoncept of adapting the Ukrainian energy system to the "green" transition. Ukraine is holding consultations with the representatives of the EU and the European Energy Union on the effective implementation of this concept.
Globally, we are facing a great challenge of supplying enough food, water and energy. The world's population is expected to increase from 7 billion in 2012 to more than 9 billion in 2050. Food demand is expected to increase by 70 percent. And it's estimated that the annual food waste in the EU is 180 kilos per person. Tymofii Kuzmenko stated that green and economic growth are not contradictious. Further growth is expected from direct and indirect public and private investments in all parts of the Bioeconomy.
We all depend on nature for our food, air, water, energy and raw materials. Nature and biodiversity make life possible, provide health and social benefits and drive our economy. Healthy ecosystems can also help us cope with the impacts of climate change. More than a half of the world's GDP - about €40 trillion - depends on nature. There are 3 key economic sectors: construction, agriculture, food and drink. These sectors are all highly dependent on nature, and they generate more than €7 trillion. Iryna Mazur, a 1st year student of Management group, concluded that common efforts for biodiversity conservation are required.
Today, it is important to apply value chains, as they help increase the efficiency of business, so it can provide the greatest value at the lowest possible cost. Value chains within animal-based production may require special attention to the issues such as positive and negative interactions between livestock and the environment, the specific role of women and children in livestock management, quality throughout the food chain and animal welfare. Therefore, it is necessary to keep in focus the following topics: animal health; breeding techniques; animal housing; reduction of environmental load & milking techniques; economy and farm management; animal nutrition; forage production; system innovations. Olha Kolomiiets, a 1st year student of Management group, concluded that to ensure quality of livestock products, the industry should be provided with special processing facilities and infrastructure.
On 13 February 2012, the European Commission adopted the strategy "Innovating for Sustainable Growth: A Bioeconomy for Europe". This strategy proposes a comprehensive approach to address the ecological, environmental, energy, food supply and natural resource challenges that Europe and indeed the world are facing already today. Anastasiia Viniichuk presented the actuality of the Bioeconomy development in Ukraine.
Mehdi Ahokhash researched the latest developments in bioeconomy policy in different countries, as well as guiding principles for international policy.
Oleksandra Kamynina dwelled on the features of bioresources used for producing products with high added value, which is becoming more and more important in the context of biotechonomy. The research aimed at creating innovative, novel biomaterials with a reduced carbon footprint to reinvent coatings and other materials with a greener approach is being conducted.
The Farm to Fork Strategy is a new comprehensive approach to how Europeans value food sustainability. It is an opportunity to improve lifestyle, health, and the environment.
Andriy Levchenko described the current situation and the COVID-19 pandemic influence on the Commission’s plan for ensuring food supply and food security. The EU will support the global transition to the sustainable agri-food system through its trade policies and international cooperation instruments.
Sasha Semenova underlined that a biorefinery is a facility that integrates biomass conversion processes and equipment to produce fuels, power, and value-added chemicals from biomass. Biorefinery is analogous to today’s petroleum refinery, which produces multiple fuels and products from petroleum. By producing several products, a biorefinery takes advantage of the various components in biomass and their intermediates, therefore maximizing the value derived from the biomass feedstock.
Biofuel is a type of renewable energy source derived from microbial, plant, or animal materials. Opportunities for the production of biofuels are constantly growing by finding new technological solutions. These topics were covered by Anastasia Riabchevska.
Sofia Novikova made a report on the European Climate Law, highlighting the climate neutrality, ways to achieve it and Ukraine's position on this law.
Bio-Based Industries Joint Undertaking is specialized in maximizing the potential of the bio-based economy in Europe – using innovative technologies to turn biological waste into greener products. BIC hosts a unique mix of sectors including agriculture, agro-food, technology providers, forest-based sector, chemicals and energy. Today, BIC has 70 full industrial members and over 100 associate members. And it is still growing. With 11 flagship first-of-their-kind biorefineries funded across Europe, BBI JU is demonstrating the essential role of bio-based industries in the green recovery of Europe. Olexandra Kozachuk, a 1st year student of the Management group, concluded that BBI needs to develop and involve more people and countries in their organization, this will help to improve the environmental situation in the world. Ukraine should also take an active part in creating a better world and consider creating its own bioplants.
The release of excess CO2 from burning of fossil fuels and other human activity has disrupted the Earth’s natural carbon cycle and climate system to the point where human civilization and the entire biosphere is now threatened. If we were to halt all greenhouse gas emissions tomorrow, we would still be locked into many destructive consequences of climate change - such as a potential release of large amounts of methane and CO2 from warming soils, rapidly rising sea levels, and widespread habitat destruction. The spread of infectious diseases, increased risk to national security and global stability would be guaranteed. New technologies and proven methods of carbon capture and removal, coupled with the relatively new practice of using the emissions we capture, present us with an exciting opportunity to effectively deal with the immediate and worsening climate crisis in an economically viable way. Olexander Bogdaniyk thinks that we must now correct the problems that we've caused. Carbon capture, utilization and storage, or CCUS, is an important emissions reduction technology that can be applied across the energy system.
Carbon markets aim to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG, or “carbon”) emissions cost-effectively by setting limits on emissions and enabling the trading of emission units, which are instruments representing emission reductions. By putting a price on carbon emissions, carbon market mechanisms, as well as other carbon pricing mechanisms such as carbon taxes, help to internalize the environmental and social costs of carbon pollution, encouraging investors and consumers to choose lower-carbon paths. Maria Yastrebinska characterised two main categories of carbon markets: Emissions Trading Systems (ETSs) and a new voluntary scheme.
Maria Bielozerskykh researched an example of bio-based chemicals using climate influence and energy security. More responsible regulation would improve the assessment of the qualities of new products – renewable, biobased does not necessarily mean environmentally friendly.
Olga Skots, a first-year student of the Faculty of agricultural Management, stated that the role of the bioeconomy based on the use of biotechnology, both in Ukraine and around the world is very significant, as it is a high-tech part of the economy that provides opportunities not only to improve energy efficiency, reuse of waste, development of renewable energy which is based on biomass, but also the production of new food and the development of medical technologies. Currently, the population of our planet is expected to reach 9 billion by 2030, which, according to preliminary estimates, will create a need to increase by 50% food, 45% energy and 30% water. Resources will always be limited, so it is important to use biotechnology to provide humanity with everything it needs.
Maksym Soloshenko presented an example of the development of the bio-based economy in North West Europe (NWE). Partnership includes organizations from five different countries. Innovation coupons for SME’s are a central part of this project. This allows business to assess the feasibility of taking an bio-based idea or a technology into industrial production. The Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant provided testing and production facilities from laboratory scale to multi-ton semi-industrial scales, not only technological know-how, but also cost- assessment or barrier analysis.
Anastasia Kucheruk dwelled on the topic of biochemistry, why it exists and how it affects our lives. Biochemistry seeks to answer biological and biochemical questions using chemical methods. Generalizations of biochemistry help to shed light on the evolution of the organic world and the question of the origin of life on Earth. Advances in biochemistry are used in medicine (clinical biochemistry), agriculture (zootechnical biochemistry and agrobiochemistry) and in the food and chemical-pharmaceutical industries (technical biochemistry). Now it has developed comprehensively and is used in almost all industries.
Shada Radjabu Jeancy paid attention to the future bio-based market development. Despite their successful application in several industries cosmetics, solvents, inks, and other standard products, bio-based chemicals still have a limited market share and investor interest. Biochemicals constitute a key sector in the bioeconomy, but their future expansion depends on biomass availability. Therefore, while it is important to use biomass and grow a bio-based economy, displacing the unsustainable petroleum basis of energy and chemical production, any resource must be used effectively to reduce waste.
Olena Koval,
Head of the Laboratory,
Doctor of Economics
