Bioeconomy has become an increasingly important public policy issue worldwide, with more than 60 countries including it in their national strategies as of 2020. Colombia, in particular, has created a variety of initiatives to use bioeconomy as a new road to economic diversification. Questions remain, however, as to which bioresources should form the basis of the future bioeconomy of Colombia, as well as how this will take place and who should take part.

This working paper evaluates the potential of cassava, a crop domesticated in the Amazon, within the framework of a sustainable bioeconomy. Using a value web approach which allows a rapid assessment of the potential of a bioresource, the authors identify challenges related to cassava and define guidelines for new opportunities for its uses in Colombia’s bioeconomy.