Introduction

Biomass is renewable organic material that comes from plants, animals, and microorganisms, excluding the material embedded in geologic formations and fossilized. It originates from organic materials such as trees, plants, agricultural and urban waste, and microorganisms. Biomass, a renewable and sustainable resource, is the physical basis of a bioeconomy. Bioeconomy encompasses producing renewable biological resources (biomass) and converting these resources into value-added products and energy. The book focuses on the European Union (EU) and the US. These two regions were the first to develop a bioeconomy strategy. In the EU, bioeconomy means using renewable biological resources to produce food, materials, and energy. The US bioeconomy is an economic activity driven by research and innovation in the life sciences and biotechnology. Bioeconomy is often described as “circular” by nature as it is the best solution to recycle CO₂ from the atmosphere to transform it into biomass, thanks to photosynthesis. Biomass has gained popularity due to its role as renewable energy and biobased product. The societies for biomass in the EU and the US are also mentioned. Biorefinery, defined as biomass refinery, is considered a key technology in the 21st century due to the sustainable production of various fuels and materials. The synthesis of materials and fuels from sugars, starch, and lignocellulosic biomass is at the core of existing biorefineries. The use of sustainable biomass will play a considerable role in meeting the objective of climate neutrality by 2050 in the European Green Deal.