manufacturing subsector has the highest participation (52%). Note also, the significant contribution of the construction subsector (35%).
3.3.2 Selection of Bioeconomy Subsectors
The methodology used to measure the contribution of bioeconomic activities to a
country’s GDP is based on the proposal of the Buenos Aires Grain Exchange or
BCBA by its Spanish acronym (Trigo et al. 2015). This methodology proposes the
creation of a satellite account within the system of national accounts (SNA) that is
specific to the bioeconomy. Based on this account, the gross value added
corresponding to the bioeconomy is calculated.
The dimensioning of this satellite account is done by using shares of the contribution to the bioeconomy within each productive sector of the SNA. The definition
of these shares is done only by consulting experts, which can render a high degree of
uncertainty and also limit the reproducibility of the calculation. Another aspect
adopted from the methodology proposed by the BCBA is the consideration that all
biomass is a bioproduct, not only those produced through the use of genetic
engineering. This consideration is also supported by the definition of bioeconomy
selected for this study.
Considering that the methodology proposed by the Buenos Aires Grain Exchange
(Trigo et al. 2015) has advantages and limitations, for the development of a new
methodology, some steps of the base methodology are adopted while other steps are
modified in an attempt to improve them. Thus, in the new methodology for measuring the contribution of the bioeconomy, the use of the SNA as the economic database
of a country’s production is maintained. The use of the SNA guarantees the
applicability of the methodology in countries where it is updated, since its construction is based on standards set by various international and regional organizations
(Trigo et al. 2015). For countries where national accounts are not public or are
outdated, the methodology presented here will be applicable only after the construction of an equivalent economic database.
The SNA additionally allows considering the linkages of raw materials and
products between the different productive sectors, for example, the processing of
palm oil uses the palm fruit production, a primary subsector, as its basis. In this way,
the bioeconomic part of the primary production of the fruit of the palm is transferred
directly to the production of the oil by means of the share of bioeconomic contribution of the fruit production.
Additionally, the creation of a satellite account within the SNA is not included as
part of the methodology of this study due to restrictions on the availability of
information, as well as the low level of disaggregation in the national accounts.
This particularity makes it difficult to estimate specific parameters for the productive
sectors, due to the high aggregation in the sectors of the economy. Nevertheless, this
activity could be carried out based on estimates of productive parameters to determine the contribution of the bioeconomy for each aggregated sector (Table 3.1).
3 Social and Economic Contribution of the Bioeconomic Sector in Ecuador: A. . .
41
3.3.2 Selection of Bioeconomy Subsectors
The methodology used to measure the contribution of bioeconomic activities to a
country’s GDP is based on the proposal of the Buenos Aires Grain Exchange or
BCBA by its Spanish acronym (Trigo et al. 2015). This methodology proposes the
creation of a satellite account within the system of national accounts (SNA) that is
specific to the bioeconomy. Based on this account, the gross value added
corresponding to the bioeconomy is calculated.
The dimensioning of this satellite account is done by using shares of the contribution to the bioeconomy within each productive sector of the SNA. The definition
of these shares is done only by consulting experts, which can render a high degree of
uncertainty and also limit the reproducibility of the calculation. Another aspect
adopted from the methodology proposed by the BCBA is the consideration that all
biomass is a bioproduct, not only those produced through the use of genetic
engineering. This consideration is also supported by the definition of bioeconomy
selected for this study.
Considering that the methodology proposed by the Buenos Aires Grain Exchange
(Trigo et al. 2015) has advantages and limitations, for the development of a new
methodology, some steps of the base methodology are adopted while other steps are
modified in an attempt to improve them. Thus, in the new methodology for measuring the contribution of the bioeconomy, the use of the SNA as the economic database
of a country’s production is maintained. The use of the SNA guarantees the
applicability of the methodology in countries where it is updated, since its construction is based on standards set by various international and regional organizations
(Trigo et al. 2015). For countries where national accounts are not public or are
outdated, the methodology presented here will be applicable only after the construction of an equivalent economic database.
The SNA additionally allows considering the linkages of raw materials and
products between the different productive sectors, for example, the processing of
palm oil uses the palm fruit production, a primary subsector, as its basis. In this way,
the bioeconomic part of the primary production of the fruit of the palm is transferred
directly to the production of the oil by means of the share of bioeconomic contribution of the fruit production.
Additionally, the creation of a satellite account within the SNA is not included as
part of the methodology of this study due to restrictions on the availability of
information, as well as the low level of disaggregation in the national accounts.
This particularity makes it difficult to estimate specific parameters for the productive
sectors, due to the high aggregation in the sectors of the economy. Nevertheless, this
activity could be carried out based on estimates of productive parameters to determine the contribution of the bioeconomy for each aggregated sector (Table 3.1).
3 Social and Economic Contribution of the Bioeconomic Sector in Ecuador: A. . .
41