Assessing Bioeconomy Policy Implementation in the Global South: the Case of Colombia

Over the past two decades, more than 50 countries have issued bioeconomy strategies to initiate transitions towards bio-based economies, yet evidence on the implementation of these policies remains limited. This paper addresses this research gap by examining the implementation of bioeconomy policies in Colombia. It evaluates to what extent their implementation succeeds or fails and identifies enabling and constraining factors. Policy implementation is operationalized by analyzing the policy outputs of selected instruments within the Colombian policy mix. Methodologically, I build on theories of policy instrument implementation and 40 semi-structured expert interviews scheduled between February and May 2025. Expected findings anticipate that bureaucratic overload among responsible implementers, high coordination load between stakeholders with diverging interests, and low societal inclusion constrain bioeconomy policy implementation. Conversely, the integration of bioeconomy policy instruments into established policy areas, such as agriculture or biotechnology, is expected to be a crucial enabling factor for successful implementation.