White paper for grassland opportunities : Discussion document

Grassland is an important type of land use in Europe, covering a large area and providing ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration, enhancing biodiversity and protecting water. To boost the development of a bio-based economy and contribute to the EU’s goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2050, there is a need for business models that can be replicated in a variety of locations and contexts, with relatively low levels of investment, risk and technical sophistication. A wider range of rural entrepreneurs need to get involved in the emerging bio-based business sector, including farmers and forest owners (and their associations), policy makers, small rural businesses, and advisors. This is key to diversifying and revitalising the rural economies and creating quality jobs in rural areas.