Lincoln University’s AERU 2024 Report on Situational Analysis of New Zealand’s Bioeconomy

New Zealand is highly dependent on its biological resources to thrive

New Zealand’s biological resources contribute to around three quarters of our exports. More broadly, biological resources and the ecosystems that underpin them are fundamental for New Zealand’s wellbeing, providing carbon sequestration, water, food and material along with other ecosystem services.

Decarbonising the economy will put greater demand on New Zealand’s productive land use and biological resources

New Zealand will need significantly more biomass for bioenergy production while biological resources will play a critical role in increasing the value of our exports to support the Government’s goal of doubling exports. We are not currently self-sufficient in biomass, with New Zealand importing significant quantities of biomass to support the economy, the majority of which is used for animal feed1. At the same time New Zealand’s use of biological resources has exceeded environmental limits on several measures, of which greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions is one.

New Zealand has strategic choices on what our biological resources are used for in the future

It is important therefore that New Zealand leverages the greatest value from our limited bioresources while reducing emissions and while ensuring the sustainable use of those resources and the ecosystems that underpin them. This report provides an evidence base to support decision-making on New Zealand’s future bioeconomy. It was undertaken by the Agribusiness and Economics Research Unit (AERU) for the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE). It supports MBIE’s Circular Economy and Bioeconomy (CEBE) programme which explores how to sustainably leverage greater value from New Zealand's biological resources whilst reducing emissions.