Editorial : Law and ethics for the bioeconomy and beyond

The convergence of biological, technological and economic realms of life has fostered the development of the bioeconomy as a new feature of contemporary society. As the meaning of life and the human body is redefined in the context of the bioeconomy, new challenges have emerged for ethics and law In the face of these challenges, it is imperative that the currency of regulatory frameworks is maintained through the processes of regular review and update. The National Health and Medical Research Council has recently released the new National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research to provide guidance for health research in Australia. The new National Statement will play an important part in supporting innovation and the development of the knowledge economy.

The economic value of new tropical biorefinery industries in Australia

Biorefineries, co-producing fuels, green chemicals and bio-products, offer great potential for enhancing agricultural value, and developing new industries in the bioeconomy. Biomass biorefineries aim to convert agricultural crops and wastes through biochemical and enzymatic processes to low cost fermentable sugars and other products which are platforms for value-adding. Through subsequent fermentation or chemical synthesis, the bio-based platforms can be converted to fuels including ethanol and butanol, oils, organic acids such as lactic and levulinic acid and polymer precursors. Other biorefinery products can include food and animal feeds, plastics, fibre products and resins. In 2014, QUT commissioned a study from Deloitte Access Economics and Correlli Consulting to assess the potential future economic value of tropical biorefineries to Queensland. This paper will report on the outcomes of this study and address the opportunities available for tropical biorefineries to contribute to the future profitability and sustainability of tropical agricultural industries in Queensland and more broadly across northern Australia.