ABSTRACT
The pathways leading to a forest-based bioeconomy are veiled in thick fog – what activities will take a country in the right direction? How can we systematically think about and identify such activities? Based on existing work in the general sustainability transition literature, in particular the multi-level perspective approach, we present a framework that allows structured analysis of transitioning to a forest-based bioeconomy, and exemplify the use of the framework by applying it to Nepal – representing a lower-income country without a nominal bioeconomic policy – and commercial medicinal plants, a non-timber resource of national economic importance. This allowed the identification of four specific transition pathways: cultivation, decentralised resource management, developing the domestic processing industry, and establishing a regional collaboration forum. We also identified three interventions to further facilitate and operationalise transition pathways: the need for a common understanding of the problem being addressed, agreement on concepts, and the development of operational bridging devices. We present a preliminary identification of six factors enabling pathway comparisons. The case illustrates the importance of acknowledging reality and rethinking the commercial medicinal plant sector, identifying feasible interventions, and recognising diversity in solutions.
