ABSTRACT
Developing countries have entered the debate on how to achieve a transition towards a biobased economy primarily as suppliers of raw materials for energy; complementary to existing streams for feed (e.g. tapioca) and food (e.g. palm oil) or to potential streams of finalized biofuels (e.g. ethanol). Controversies arising from this particular entry point, for example about large-scale land conversions or potential impacts on food security, might lead to a stalemate in the transition to a biobased economy, which is briefly discussed in the next section of this chapter. We approach this debate by asking a contrasting question: what would a transition to a biobased economy in developing countries look like if it was based on endogenous industrialization absorbing waste or secondary plant material streams from small-and medium-scale agro-processing, and serving domestic low-income markets?
