Abstract
Simple SummaryThe relationship between the rates of world population growth and the consumption of natural resources is a subject of strong debate in the political and academic areas. Since the 1960s, technological progress has made it possible to achieve extraordinary increases in agricultural productivity, which was at the basis of the so-called green revolution. However, this happened at the expense of environmental sustainability. Agricultural activities impact natural resources such as water, air, biodiversity, which are crucial for future generations. The livestock sector is particularly sensitive to the problem, being responsible for an important part of the global greenhouse gas emissions. To make livestock production more sustainable, a radical rethinking of livestock production models is required. In the face of these needs, the circular economy provides a sound basis for a sustainable transition. Therefore, it is necessary to identify the crucial factors for a transition towards more “circularized” animal production systems. More precisely, our work aims to identify economic, social, and environmental factors that can boost transition, by framing it within a circular vision of livestock farming.This paper deals with a relevant topic in the literature on sustainable management of animal farms, concerning the transition towards circular methods of animal production. The paper aims to put forward an original analytical multilevel perspective overlapping different dimensions at either micro, meso, and macro level. Starting from the Malthusian analysis on depletion of natural resources, with risks of the fragility of the natural and economic systems, the paper points out the importance of moving away from intensive methods of production, by adopting more circularized approaches based on resources efficiency. The application of circular economy approaches to animal production is theorized through the concept of territorial metabolism involving not only internal resources (at the animal farm level) but also territorial resources. The paper underlines the critical points of the transition, which is labeled as a socio-technical transition in that it involves not only technical issues but also social aspects. Critical points are addressed through consumers’ acceptance of products drawn on circular approaches and political support to transition, through political tools which are boosted in recent documents of the European Union, like the Green Deal and Farm to Fork strategy.
Highlights
Introduction conditions of the Creative CommonsConcerns about the sustainability of economic growth have fueled scientific and political debate for over two centuries
The rise of per capita income, urbanization, and female labor participation, economic globalization, and social and meat prices, are at the root of the motivations that are driving global changes and the demand for protein foods of animal origin worldwide [61]. These dynamics will continue over the years and this implies the need for global attention to avoid an intensification of production at the expense of sustainability and respect for animals
The transition towards a circular economy may be hindered by market failures, which call for policy action
Summary
Concerns about the sustainability of economic growth have fueled scientific and political debate for over two centuries. Direct effects include the transition to a circular economy which may happen in the animal sector through a minimization in the use of external inputs and by reducing wastes and emissions in the environment thanks to recycling and valorization of agricultural wastes, as pointed out in an EU position paper [20,21,22]. 4), “while not directly contributing to ‘circularisation’, precision livestock farming addresses the use of minimal levels of invested resources that is essential to achieving sustainable agricultural production” Another interesting example is aquaponics, which is an effective model of circular economy, thanks to the capability of recreating natural ecosystems in artificial environments [28] and challenging land, nutrient, and water scarcity, and reducing energy use and food miles [29]. As a matter of fact, a rigorous analysis of the transition process calls for multilevel perspectives, to take into account all variables involved in the process
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