Bioeconomy a pathway to sustainable development in East Africa

Bioeconomy development presents a significant opportunity for countries in eastern Africa to make progress toward multiple Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, according to the State of the Bioeconomy in Eastern Africa 2026 report.

Launched on Tuesday, the report said the bioeconomy offers the region a strategic pathway to combine economic transformation, climate action, rural development and industrial innovation within a coherent and forward-looking framework.

Developed by the East African Science and Technology Commission, Landscape Alliance, Stockholm Environment Institute, and International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, the report found that eastern Africa has abundant biological resources.

These include underutilized agricultural residues and organic waste streams, which can be transformed into higher-value products for food, healthcare, energy and industrial applications, the report said.

The region's biodiversity also creates opportunities to develop cost-effective bio-based pharmaceuticals, diagnostics and health products targeting diseases such as HIV and malaria, as well as non-communicable diseases.

The report noted that improved processing, storage and value addition could strengthen the resilience of food systems while expanding access to nutritious and affordable food for the region's rapidly growing population.

Revitalizing biomass value chains and expanding bioprocessing industries could also support job creation, industrial diversification and the development of low-emission production systems.

Eastern Africa countries have further opportunities to expand the production of biomaterials for construction, sustainable agricultural inputs such as biofertilizers and biopesticides, industrial enzymes, bio-based packaging, and functional foods.

Modern bioenergy solutions, including biofuels and biogas produced from waste and industrial by-products, could improve energy access, reduce reliance on fuelwood, mitigate deforestation and contribute to climate mitigation goals.

The report also highlighted opportunities in sustainable aquaculture through the use of alternative feeds derived from insects, algae and microbial proteins. Seaweed-based biomaterials and marine bioprospecting could also support the development of pharmaceuticals, enzymes and other high-value products.

However, growing interest in bioeconomy development has yet to translate into large-scale industrial transformation, with structural, institutional, technological and financial barriers continuing to constrain the sector.

It recommended strengthening implementation capacity and regional coordination, supporting enterprise scale-up and generating measurable evidence on the socioeconomic impact of bioeconomy investments.

These measures, it said, would help accelerate the development of a competitive, inclusive and sustainable bioeconomy across eastern Africa.

During the same event, Kenya launched a 10-year strategy aimed at building a sustainable, innovative and globally competitive bioeconomy that drives inclusive economic growth, environmental sustainability and improved livelihoods.

While launching the strategy, Musalia Mudavadi, Kenya's prime cabinet secretary and cabinet secretary for foreign and diaspora affairs, said it would help the country translate its biological resources and scientific capabilities into productive enterprises, competitive industries, quality jobs and improved livelihoods.

"A scientific discovery in a university or research institution is an important achievement," he said.

"Greater national value is realized when that discovery moves beyond the laboratory, attracts investment, becomes a commercial product or service, establishes an enterprise and creates employment."

Mudavadi said the East African Community Regional Bioeconomy Strategy 2022–2032 provides an important regional framework for harnessing science, technology and innovation, as well as shared biological resources, for sustainable development.

"Kenya's National Bioeconomy Strategy strengthens our contribution to this regional ambition," he said.

"Regional cooperation provides opportunities to expand markets, strengthen scientific collaboration, develop regional value chains and build complementary capabilities across our countries."

Shaukat Abdulrazak, the principal secretary for Kenya's State Department for Science, Research and Innovation, said the government would provide leadership, policy coordination and an enabling environment, but emphasized that the success of the strategy would require contributions from multiple stakeholders.

He said researchers need to generate solutions, entrepreneurs scale them, financial institutions provide investment, and development partners support capacity building and innovation. Communities, he added, should be active beneficiaries of the value created from the country's biological resources.