Circular Economy in Agri-food Systems

Abstract

In recent years, demand for food has increased. On the one hand, population, economies, and the urbanization rates have grown increasingly worldwide. On the other hand, increased waste food at all stages of the agri-food systems, including production, storage, processing, wholesale, and consumption, puts enormous pressure on producing as much food as possible. The main results of the inefficiency in meeting the demand for food in agri-food systems are a loss of productivity, energy, and natural resources that finally prove to be expensive. Using the principles of circular economy (CE) provides a kind of solution to minimize waste in agri-food systems and meet demand for food. In other words, implementing CE in agri-food systems leads to a reduction in waste, and there is a possibility to use the waste in question as by-products or co-products in agri-food systems. Applying CE principles in agri-food systems implies implementing policies and decisions at different stages of agri-food systems. In this chapter, we discuss the main decisions and policies that can facilitate the implementation of CE in agri-food systems and help create new opportunities for value-added activities by focusing mainly on the production and consumption of food and on waste management.KeywordsCircular economyAgri-foodFood productionFood consumptionWaste management