Who is talking about bioeconomy? Stakeholder and sentiment analysis using social media

Abstract

The bioeconomy concept describes an economic system centred around biological resources, processes, and technologies. The concept lacks a singular definition but has been proposed as a bridge that connects stakeholders under a shared goal and has become embedded in governance and research systems. This trait leaves bioeconomy vulnerable to being misused and applied ambiguously without scrutiny. Broader societal use and representation of bioeconomy can be investigated using social media as a data source due to its wide user base and ability to forge connections across spatial scales and between otherwise disconnected groups. This study used Twitter to explore the broader societal representation and use of bioeconomy across a 12-month span beginning in June 2021. A total of 16,737 tweets using bioeconomy terms were retrieved from 5,480 user accounts. The geographic distribution of user accounts and the stakeholder groups those accounts represented were studied and network analysis was conducted. Sentiment analysis was used to investigate the language and ideas contained within bioeconomy tweets. Results showed a mix of stakeholders represented within the most active accounts led by the research sector, private individuals, and civil society. The geographic distribution of user accounts was dominated by European and North America-based accounts, and influential users included policy institutions, research projects, events, and private individuals. Sentiment analysis revealed a trend for positive language and view of bioeconomy, especially amongst the most active users. Associated themes included sustainability, circular economy, climate, carbon, innovation, newness, and specific industries (food, agriculture, energy, forestry). It was found that bioeconomy is present within broader societal discourse as represented on Twitter and demonstrates the ability to connect multiple stakeholder groups. However, those engaged disproportionately represented high-income, high-technology countries, and highly educated individuals with limited evidence of engaging outsiders or those unfamiliar.