Bio-Based Communities of Practice: Primed for the Social and Solidarity Bioeconomy

The social and solidarity bioeconomy (SSB) is an adaptive strategy that facilitates collective persistence and sustainable use of biological resources under increasingly precarious socio-economic and environmental conditions. Communal living which is present across biological systems often evolves in response to environmental pressures such as uneven resource distribution, environmental stress, and predation. Similarly, human economic systems operate as an adaptive response to ecological and social conditions such as inequity and environmental degradation. Guided by principles of social and solidarity economies, the SSB prioritizes democratic governance, sustainability, and collective well-being over profit maximization of resources used in the bioeconomy. Participation in the SSB parallels evolutionary strategies of cooperative living observed across biological kingdoms where collaboration can enhance resilience under harsh conditions. Within this framework, Communities of Practice (CoPs) such as community gardens and community bio labs, serve as important sites of knowledge sharing, resource pooling, and collective innovation. By fostering cooperation around shared domains of interest, CoPs are uniquely positioned to strengthen the development of a more equitable, democratic, and ecologically sustainable bioeconomy.