A3 Book section, Chapters in research books
From Centralisation to Decentralisation? Transition Visions of Circular Bioeconomy in Rural Finland (2025)

Kuhmonen, I., Kuhmonen, T., & Näyhä, A. (2025). From Centralisation to Decentralisation? Transition Visions of Circular Bioeconomy in Rural Finland. In M. Halonen, M. Albrecht, & I. Kuhmonen (Eds.), Rescaling Sustainability Transitions : Unfolding the Spatialities of Power Relations, Governance Arrangements, and Socio-Economic Systems (pp. 119-145). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-69918-4_6

JYU authors or editors

Kuhmonen, Irene
Näyhä, Annukka

Publication details

All authors or editors: Kuhmonen, Irene; Kuhmonen, Tuomas; Näyhä, Annukka

Parent publication: Rescaling Sustainability Transitions : Unfolding the Spatialities of Power Relations, Governance Arrangements, and Socio-Economic Systems

Parent publication editors: Halonen, Maija; Albrecht, Moritz; Kuhmonen, Irene

ISBN: 978-3-031-69917-7

eISBN: 978-3-031-69918-4

Publication year: 2025

Publication date: 29/10/2024

Pages range: 119-145

Number of pages in the book: 299

Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan

Place of Publication: Cham

Publication country: Switzerland

Publication language: English

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-69918-4_6

Publication open access: Openly available

Publication channel open access: Open Access channel

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/97905

Abstract

Rural areas have been largely peripheralised and disempowered by the centralisation characteristic of the era of the fossil economy. The departure from fossil metabolism and the shift towards a circular bioeconomy represent a possibility for improved rural livelihoods. However, while the metabolic nature of a circular bioeconomy is more decentralised than that of the fossil economy, it is unclear whether the centralised social structures and power relations will become decentralised as a result of this transition. In this research, by utilising the approaches offered by futures research, we explored probable and preferable future visions across a set of 10 manifestations of circular bioeconomy in 60 expert interviews. The results indicated that most of the manifestations are likely to scale up through a non-local and centralised pathway, while the preferable visions fostering rural livelihoods would mean more local and decentralised modes of organising. At the same time, due to centralising tendencies, reaching the sustainability targets of a circular bioeconomy is difficult.

Keywords: bioeconomy; circular economy; futures research; countryside; sustainable development; green transition

Free keywords: circular bioeconomy; futures studies; peripheralisation; rural areas; sustainability transition

Fields of science: