THE ROLE OF PRE-TERTIARY GEOGRAPHY EDUCATION IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF BIOECONOMICS

The paper presents an innovative economy - bioeconomy and explains the role of geography education in its development. The aim of the bioeconomy is to develop low-emission economies focused on developing the primary sector (agriculture,fishing, forestry), food security and sufficiency, encouraging the use of biomass in industry, protecting biodiversity and the environment (European Commission, 2012). The shift from the traditional linear model of economy to the bioeconomy entails a move away from fossil resources and toward bio-renewable resources as well as a transition from a linear to a circular economy. Alongside entrepreneurs, the government/policies, scientific institutions, and international cooperation, formal, non-formal and informal education of every stakeholder in this economic area plays a key role in the development of the bioeconomy. The primary goal of this paper is to emphasize the role of geography education in and for the development of circular economy (bioeconomy), which is an aim of the Republic of Croatia defined by Development Direction 3, "Green and Digital Transition" (National Development Strategy 2030, 2020.). The secondary objectives of this paper are to analyse general theoretical features of the bioeconomy as well as employment and turnover structure in the EU bioeconomy sectors, with a special emphasis on the situation in the Republic of Croatia. The results of the work show that the Croatian bioeconomy is only in the initial cycle of its development. The Geography curriculum for primary schools and grammar schools (2019) contains a significant number of educational outcomes that concern energy sources, climate and climate change, ecosystems, biodiversity and the development of smart cities. Adopting these outcomes may contribute to the acquisition of competencies necessary for the development of new approaches of more innovative economies. The research was conducted using quantitative and qualitative methods. The analysis of the curricular content, especially the elaborations of outcomes geared toward a further development of the bioeconomy, is the basis for shaping professional development training for geography teachers to enable a more innovative and efficient management of the learning and teaching of these contents.