Agricultural Circular Economy Research Articles

Practice of Improving Saline–Alkali Soil with Bio-Humic Acid

The improvement and exploitation of saline–alkali soil is a hot topic worldwide. Analysis of soil aggregate structure and water and of the salt transport law, a new technology that uses humic acid as a saline–alkali soil amendment has been proposed. These advancements may effectively improve the soil aggregate structure of saline–alkali soil at the source. In this study, biological pyrolysis liquid was modified to produce soil modifier for saline–alkali land, and this soil modifier was used in a rice planting experiment. The results show that the application of a bio-humic acid soil amendment in the amount of 3000 kg/ha and its combination with humic acid fertilizer produced rice yields as high as 9750 kg/ha. At the same time, the pH of the soil was reduced from 10.81 to 8.95 (with bio-humic acid soil amendment content of 3000 kg/ha), and the soil organic matter demonstrated a trend of increasing with an increased amount of bio-humic acid soil amendment. The content of calcium, magnesium, and trace elements in the soil were clearly increased with the use of the amended soil in comparison with the normal group. With this amendment, saline–alkali land could be transformed and planted in the same year, increasing the potential yearly income for the land. This may be efficient and environmentally friendly, encouraging the agricultural circular economy.

Development of Circular Economy in Agriculture in Hanoi, Vietnam

The introduction of circular economy principles into closed production systems is essential to address current socio-economic and ecological challenges efficiently. This approach not only saves costs, creates job opportunities, and fosters economic growth but also promotes the sustainable use of natural resources in agriculture. Transitioning to a circular economy model in agriculture contributes to achieving sustainable development goals. In Hanoi, Vietnam, sustainable agriculture development focuses on integrating natural processes and biological resources to enhance productivity while preserving the environment. Challenges persist in shifting from conventional to organic farming methods due to certification complexities and infrastructure limitations. Despite these hurdles, organic farming adoption is increasing, positively impacting agricultural productivity and biodiversity. The gradual expansion of certified organic agriculture in Hanoi indicates promising strides toward environmental conservation and economic development through a closed-loop agricultural system.

Development of Circular Economy in Agriculture in Hanoi, Vietnam

The introduction of circular economy principles into closed production systems is essential to address current socio-economic and ecological challenges efficiently. This approach not only saves costs, creates job opportunities, and fosters economic growth but also promotes the sustainable use of natural resources in agriculture. Transitioning to a circular economy model in agriculture contributes to achieving sustainable development goals. In Hanoi, Vietnam, sustainable agriculture development focuses on integrating natural processes and biological resources to enhance productivity while preserving the environment. Challenges persist in shifting from conventional to organic farming methods due to certification complexities and infrastructure limitations. Despite these hurdles, organic farming adoption is increasing, positively impacting agricultural productivity and biodiversity. The gradual expansion of certified organic agriculture in Hanoi indicates promising strides toward environmental conservation and economic development through a closed-loop agricultural system.

Integrated Service Architecture to Promote the Circular Economy in Agriculture 4.0

Innovation has been the transforming tool of precision agriculture as a response to population growth and the demand for more food with quality, less waste, food security, and sustainable management of environmental resources. The challenges are to increase the productivity of cultivated areas, both for current and future areas, to manage the use of potable water, scarce in many regions, to keep the soil fertile, and to reduce waste through reuse, optimization, resource sharing, and operational and strategic management based on accurate information of planting, harvesting, and management of environmental conditions, which are also objectives of the Circular Economy. Therefore, using Industry 4.0 technologies in agriculture becomes fundamental to facing such challenges. This paper presents a systematic literature review on Industry 4.0 technologies adopted in agriculture for sustainable development, considering environmental, economic, and social benefits. The research pointed to the use of IoT in irrigation control systems by sending automatic commands, monitoring soil and weather conditions, in the use of machinery with some automation features and in cloud data storage systems, and with the use of Big Data analytical tools, with access by mobile devices, these uses contribute to operational and strategic decision making in the management of planting and harvesting. However, the literature review did not find a technological architecture for Integrated Services in Agriculture 4.0. Thus, this paper proposes a Service Architecture that enables the promotion of a Circular Economy in Agriculture 4.0. The contribution of this article to the theory is in the expansion of knowledge of the use of technologies in Agriculture 4.0. In terms of practice, this article provides an Integrated Service Architecture so that new products can be developed for Agriculture 4.0 and thus contribute to society in reducing food insecurity, generating environmental, economic, and social benefits, and promoting the Circular Economy in Agriculture 4.0.

Spatial spillover and threshold effects of digital rural development on agricultural circular economy growth

The infusion of digital technologies imparts impetus to the development of agricultural circular economy. Study focuses on the nexus of digital rural development, agricultural circular economy growth, employing entropy, Critic, and TOPSIS models to calculate the evolution of agricultural circular economy from 2011 to 2021. Furthermore, the temporal and spatial dynamics of agricultural circular economy development are explored. In addition, spatial Durbin models and threshold models are utilized to explore the spatial spillover effects of digital rural development on agricultural circular economy, and the threshold characteristics of agricultural circular economy with varying levels of digital rural development. The research findings reveal that arable land area, forest coverage, and mechanization play pivotal roles in shaping the trajectory of rural circular economy development. The synthetical index of rural circular economy development shows a consistent yearly increment, yet pronounced regional disparities exist, reflecting an olive-shaped distribution with dual cores in Heilongjiang and Chongqing and a more prominent central. The implementation of digital rural not only elevates the local agricultural circular economy, but also demonstrates conspicuous spatial spillover effects on neighboring regions. The relationship between digital rural development and agricultural circular economy growth is characterized by a singular threshold effect. Pre- and post-threshold, the promotive impact of digital rural development rises from 0.048 to 0.058. Building upon these findings, policy recommendations are formulated to guide future endeavors in this domain.

Mitigating Contaminant-Driven Risks for the Safe Expansion of the Agricultural-Sanitation Circular Economy in an Urbanizing World.

The widespread adoption of an agricultural circular economy requires the recovery of resources such as water, organic matter, and nutrients from livestock manure and sanitation. While this approach offers many benefits, we argue this is not without potential risks to human and environmental health that largely stem from the presence of contaminants in the recycled resources (e.g., pharmaceuticals, pathogens). We discuss context specific challenges and solutions across the three themes: (1) contaminant monitoring; (2) collection transport and treatment; and (3) regulation and policy. We advocate for the redesign of sanitary and agricultural management practices to enable safe resource reuse in a proportionate and effective way. In populous urban regions with access to sanitation provision, processes can be optimized using emergent technologies to maximize removal of contaminant from excreta prior to reuse. Comparatively, in regions with limited existing capacity for conveyance of excreta to centralized treatment facilities, we suggest efforts should focus on creation of collection facilities (e.g., pit latrines) and decentralized treatment options such as composting systems. Overall, circular economy approaches to sanitation and resource management offer a potential solution to a pressing challenge; however, to ensure this is done in a safe manner, contaminant risks must be mitigated.

Forecast model of agricultural circular economy development trend based on GP algorithm

Forecast model of agricultural circular economy development trend based on GP algorithm

Circular economy and agricultural employment: a panel analysis of EU advanced and emerging economies

AbstractUsing data from 24 European advanced and emerging countries between 2000 and 2020, this paper examines the impacts of circular economy (CE) on agriculture employment (AE) and female employment patterns. Based on the availability of data, the study uses three CE indicators: generation of municipal waste (GMW) per capita, the recycling rate of municipal waste (RRMW), and patents related to recycling and secondary raw materials (PRSRM). To investigate the relationship between CE and AE, as well as CE and female AE, panel cointegration analysis and Granger causality tests are conducted. The results reveal that whereas RRMW, PRSRM and AE are in equilibrium in the long run, increasing waste lowers female attraction to the sector. The study therefore suggests that developing and expanding waste management initiatives and innovation are critical to the growth of agricultural employment and the closing of existing gender gaps. Despite concerns that rising recycling practices may negatively impact employment, our empirical results indicate that CE will create opportunities and increase employment levels. The evidence suggests that promoting CE in agriculture is economically, ecologically, and socially beneficial.

Internet Smart Technology Drives High Quality Development of Agricultural Economy

Abstract This paper builds a mechanism for the integration of the digital economy and agricultural economy and analyzes the scientific path of agricultural economic development under the mode of “Internet+”. Secondly, on the basis of Internet technology, for the multi-objective optimization problem of agricultural circular economy, the multi-objective optimization problem is solved by selecting decision variables of agricultural circular economy and determining the objective function of agricultural circular economy. Then, from the actual situation of the regional agricultural economy, we determine the constraints, decision variable parameters, and the adaptability function so as to construct the structural optimization model of the agricultural circular economy and carry out an example analysis of the high-quality development of the agricultural economy. The results show that on the model optimization analysis, the optimized planting area of corn is 15,956 hectares, and the optimized numbers of pigs, cattle and poultry are 302, 144, 25, 543 and 579, 1332, respectively. On the model application prediction analysis, it is recommended to increase the support for agriculture to 102.5% (2022=100%) while increasing the support for forestry to 105.1% (2022=100%). This study provides strong support and guidance for the optimization of the agricultural and industrial structure and provides a more scientific decision-making basis for the high-quality development of the agricultural economy.

Conceptual foundations of the circular economy in agriculture

У статті обґрунтовано, що новою парадигмою економічного розвитку може стати модель економіки замкнутого циклу (циркулярна економіка), заснована на відновленні та раціональному споживанні ресурсів, яка буде виступати альтернативою традиційній лінійній економіці. Доведено, що циркулярна економіка – це концепція економічного виробництва та споживання, яка спрямована на максимальне використання ресурсів, зменшення відходів та створення замкнених циклів використання матеріалів. Метою проведеного дослідження є розгляд концептуальних основ розвитку циркулярної економіки в сільському господарстві. Теоретичною та методологічною основою проведеного дослідження слугувало використання загальнонаукових і спеціальних методів. Зокрема, монографічний метод – при вивченні літературних джерел; метод аналізу та синтезу – для узагальнення досвіду впровадження основних підходів циркулярної економіки у сільському господарстві; метод системного узагальнення – для розроблення пропозицій щодо активізації роботи по впровадженню основних принципів кругової економіки у галузі; абстрактно-логічний метод – формулювання висновків та теоретичні узагальнення тощо. У дослідженні наголошується на необхідності перехідного процесу від традиційних моделей споживання до циркулярної економіки, який може призвести до сталого розвитку та забезпечення екологічно збалансованого використання ресурсів. Обґрунтовано основні засади циркулярної економіки в сільському господарстві, що передбачають збереження родючості ґрунту через використання агроекологічних методів, управління відходами та вторинними ресурсами, розвиток біологічної різноманітності, стійке використання водних ресурсів, впровадження цифрових технологій для оптимізації виробництва та підтримка участі місцевого населення у створенні сталого сільськогосподарського середовища. Відмічено, що концепція циркулярної економіки заснована на принципі «3-R»: скорочення (Reduce), повторне використання (Reuse) та переробка матеріалів (Recycle) та узгоджується із 17 Цілями сталого розвитку ООН, тому й заохочує більшість країн впроваджувати інноваційні технології у виробництво. Основними її інструментами є екоінновації та "зелені" технології, які є дружніми по відношенню до природного середовища. У дослідженні проведено аналіз переваг циркулярної економіки, зокрема зменшення відходів, ефективне використання ресурсів, економічні вигоди та стимулювання інновацій тощо. Підкреслюється важливість цього підходу для сталого розвитку та його потенційний вплив на бізнес, суспільство та навколишнє середовище.
 Висвітлено приклади успішного впровадження циркулярних практик в різних сільськогосподарських підприємствах. Стаття закликає сільських господарів, дослідників та політиків до активного впровадження циркулярних принципів у сільському господарстві, щоб досягти більшої сталості, збереження ресурсів та сприяти екологічній відповідальності в цій важливій галузі.

CURRENT STATE AND DIRECTIONS OF FURTHER CIRCULAR AGRICULTURAL ECONOMY DEVELOPMENT IN UKRAINE

The subject of the study is the analysis and development of the circular agricultural economy of Ukraine. Methodology. The study uses general scientific methods, in particular: theoretical generalisation; methods of positive-normative analysis and statistical analysis. The purpose is to assess current trends in the circular economy in the agricultural sector of Ukraine and to substantiate the directions of its further development. Research conclusion. Achieving the global sustainable development goals, to which Ukraine has joined, requires the search for and implementation of new business models aimed at ensuring the interests of current and future generations. The agricultural sector is of utmost importance in addressing these challenges, as it contributes to solving the problem of hunger, ensuring food security and improving the quality of life of the world's population. The article provides an overview of the current problems of development of the agro-circular economy, which is proposed to be considered as one of the tools for achieving the goals of sustainable development. The main problematic aspects that impede the intensification of agro-circular transformations in Ukrainian agriculture are identified. The article compares certain indicators of the level of agro-circularity in the EU and Ukraine. An analysis of the current state of development of the circular economy in Ukrainian agriculture is carried out. On the basis of economic and statistical models, the level of dependence of agricultural production on the use of new material resources is studied. The obtained results show low rates of development of circular processes in the agricultural sector of Ukraine and a high level of consumption of input resources. The study of the methodological basis for assessing the state of development of the closed-type agro-economy has allowed to propose the authors' vision of systematisation of indicators of the level of development of circular processes in agriculture. This systematisation was based on the identification of five main dimensions: consumption of new materials, waste volumes, agricultural waste management, economic efficiency, and state financial support. The study identified key priority areas for further development of the agro-circular economy in Ukrainian agriculture.

How to Enhance Circular Agriculture Models at Micro-Level in Vietnam? A Review

Vietnam's agricultural sector has achieved remarkable progress in recent years, ensuring both food security and export turnover for the country. However, the current focus on productivity and output alone is wasteful and detrimental to the environment. To address this, a shift from linear to circular agriculture is advocated, encompassing not only production but also consumption. While circular economy (CE) in agriculture is a new concept in Vietnam, various stakeholders at the micro-level, such as farmers, cooperatives, and enterprises, have been practicing circular agriculture for some time. Nevertheless, most of these models have emerged spontaneously without cohesive development across regions. Although the Vietnamese government have introduced policies promoting green production and CE, they have provided little guidance on promoting circular agricultural models at the micro-level. This paper presents a concise overview of CE in agriculture, synthesizes typical micro-level models of CE in Vietnam, and proposes policy recommendations to enhance existing circular agriculture models, including raising awareness among stakeholders about circular agriculture, encouraging investment in circular agriculture, enhancing the capacity of agricultural producers in recycling and reusing by-products, and establishing an appropriate legal framework.

Contribution of biochar application to the promotion of circular economy in agriculture

The traditional linear model in agriculture based on the so-called ‘take-make-waste’ has created many problems such as resource scarcity, waste generation, climate change and biodiversity loss. Recently, with the increase in public awareness, the attentiveness in developing a circular economy model was doubled with a focus on proper waste management to bring some benefits to the agricultural sector. Although the increasing acceptance of biochar as a carbon-based material capable of playing a multidimensional role in reducing waste, mitigating climate change, and creating a closed-loop agricultural system, it is still far to move to a final conclusion that biochar application in agriculture could bring attractive environmental and economic benefits. Research conducted so far has led to many insights into how to enhance agricultural sustainability through biochar application, as the impact of biochar is strongly interrelated to their inherent properties, which vary deeply with the nature of biomass and the preparation conditions. In the present study, a systematic literature review was performed to investigate the state- of-the-art research related to the application of biochar in agriculture and its contribution in the establishment of circular economy concept. The interlinking between biochar application in agriculture with energy-water systems and its contribution to successfully build up a circular economy model has also been investigated.

Circular economy in agriculture: unleashing the potential of integrated organic farming for food security and sustainable development

Food is a basic human requirement which sustains the dynamics of the Earth's inhabitants by satisfying hunger, providing nutrition and health, and catering to culture, tradition, and lifestyle. However, the rising global population coupled with climate change including calamities, diseases, conflicts, as well as poor agricultural practices put a huge constraint on the quantity and quality of food. Modern agriculture propelled by the green revolution has somehow been able to meet the food requirements of the ever-increasing population and is heavily dependent on chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and machinery, reducing the quality of food, and simultaneously posing a great risk of environmental quality degradation and genetic diversity reduction. The Integrated Organic Farming System (IOFS) is a novel approach that holds the potential in addressing the challenge of reconciling food production with environmental preservation. As this approach embraces zero or minimal chemical use, adopting the reprocessing and reuse of agricultural residues has led to a sustainable system that can be viewed as the closest approach to nature and a circular economy. However, certain constraints need to be addressed, such as ascertaining the effectiveness of organic fertilizers, the complexities associated with weed management, and the inadequacy of proficiency, financial resources, and technical expertise required to implement the IOFS. Therefore, this study emphasizes the comprehensive benefits that could be derived from IOFS, particularly agroforestry, including efficient food production, improved food quality, biodiversification of crops by the adoption of lesser-known crops to cater to cultural requirements and minimal capital input to achieve environmental sustainability and a carbon neutral economy.

The Efficiency of China’s Agricultural Circular Economy and Its Influencing Factors under the Rural Revitalization Strategy: A DEA–Malmquist–Tobit Approach

In 2018, the Chinese government proposed the Rural Revitalization Strategy with the objective of bolstering economic development, social progress, and ecological protection in rural areas, thereby achieving rural modernization. This paper employs the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) method and the Malmquist index model to measure the efficiency and changes of the agricultural circular economy in 31 provinces and cities in China from 2017 to 2020. Using Tobit regression, we further examine the correlation analysis in the context of the rural revitalization policy. The study reveals that the efficiency of China’s agricultural circular economy continued to grow between 2017 and 2020. The policy of the rural revitalization strategy significantly impacts the efficiency of the agricultural circular economy. Government financial support has a significant positive influence on the efficiency of the agricultural circular economy. Based on the research findings, we proposed several constructive suggestions.

Overview of conceptual approaches to circular economy in AIC of Kazakhstan

The goal is to outline conceptual foundations of the circular economy in agriculture, to study the directions of its development. Methods – comparisons, generalizations, expert opinion, statistical based on obtaining primary data, as well as theoretical analysis of scientific literature of foreign and domestic authors. Results – features of the circular transformation of the industry and main differences from the traditional way of agricultural production are determined. The article shows its essence and principles of implementation in agricultural sector. The prospects for world development require the creation of a resource-efficient agri-food system. As a result of the study, indicators were analyzed that can measure the circularity of agro-industrial production: slowdown, reduction and regeneration. It was revealed that in conditions of resource scarcity, climate change, environmental degradation, increasing demand for food, the circular economy is a strategy for the rational use of renewable natural resources, contributes to solving global problems. Conclusions – the proposed approaches to creating a new, rational food and nutrition chain are aimed at maintaining the value of products and resources for a long period, returning them to production cycle after the end of use, minimizing waste generation, reducing food losses, ensuring food security and economic growth. Based on the study of foreign experience, the authors substantiate the importance of state support and scientific support for circular economy. The speedy solution of the issues revealed in the article is of interest in the preparation of draft state, sectoral programs for socio-economic development of the agro-industrial complex, will ensure a more efficient use of raw materials in the framework of production processes.

'Clean Food': A Model for Safe and Sustainable Agriculture Towards Accomplishment of Circular Economy

The core concept of Circular Economy (CE) in Agriculture is targeted towards better sustenance through higher use of renewable sources and facilitating the restoration and regeneration of system resources. However, dearth of effective crop-technology/ies that can ensure the above while sustaining crop yields; form the major bottleneck towards facilitation of CE in agriculture. The Safe and Sustainable' Clean Food' (CF) Model can perhaps serve as the best fit road map towards the objective. Driven by Inhana Rational Farming (IRF) Technology this model focuses 'Plant Health Management' and utilizes the safe, cost-effective, waste bio-converted Novcom compost for Soil Health Management to deliver safe food, without crop loss and without raising the cost of production. The model when evaluated in respect of all the basic principles of circular agriculture; revealed its potential towards improving (by up to 19.5%) crop yield while reducing/ eliminating non-renewable inputs like chemical fertilizers and pesticides; that minimized the risk of pesticide residue in food (vegetables) by about 93%. Resource recycling through bioconversion of MSW/ landfill waste into safe compost improved soil quality by up to 27%. Most importantly, GHG Abatement of 6.4 to 11.7 kg CO2 -eq / kg food production, 64% increase in energy productivity, 16.7% higher employment generation, and about 19.7% increase in gross income (on an average); indicated that the CF Model delivered the very essence of CE in agriculture i. e., decoupling economic development from the linear dynamics of finite and non-renewable resource extraction, use, and disposal, while improving the access to safe and nutritious food for all.

Effect of Fiscal Expenditure for Supporting Agriculture on Agricultural Economic Efficiency in Central China—A Case Study of Henan Province

The policy guidance and financial support for industrial development from public finance provide an important guarantee for practicing green and circular development of agriculture. By sorting out the development context of fiscal support for agriculture in Henan province in different historical stages, this paper analyzes the development status of fiscal support for agriculture and the agricultural circular economy in the province. Relying on data envelopment analysis (DEA), it measures the efficiency of the agricultural circular economy in Henan province in 2013–2019 using the Charnes, Cooper, and Rhodes (CCR) model, the Banker, Charnes, and Cooper (BCC) model, and super-efficiency DEA models and empirically analyzes the effect of the fiscal expenditure for supporting agriculture on the efficiency of the agricultural circular economy using the fixed effect model. According to the results, (1) the expenditure on comprehensive agricultural development of Henan Province was mainly supported by the government’s fiscal funds to such a degree that the proportion of fiscal funds from the central government exceeded 40% throughout the year. Particular stress was laid on the land governance projects of comprehensive agricultural development in the province. (2) The overall development level of the agricultural circular economy in Henan Province was low, and there were considerable gaps between cities (counties). Under the super-efficiency DEA model, only Hebi City, which ranked first in terms of average efficiency, achieved relative efficiency. (3) The fiscal expenditure for supporting agriculture had a positive incentive effect on the efficiency of the agricultural circular economy in Henan province, and the incentive effect became more significant after the time effect was controlled. Accordingly, this paper puts forward some targeted policy suggestions, which enrich the existing research on fiscal support for agriculture and agricultural circular economy at both theoretical and practical levels.

Emergy synthesis of decoupling and recoupling crop-livestock systems under unified system boundary and modified indices

Sustainability assessment of integrated crop-livestock system was crucial for regulating and improving the complex agricultural system. Emergy synthesis (ES) is a suitable tool to assess the sustainability of integrated crop-livestock systems. However, the inconsistent system boundaries and limited assessment indicators caused to subjective and misleading results when comparing the recoupling and decoupling croplivestock models. Therefore, this study defined the rational system boundary of emergy accounting for the comparison of recoupling and decoupling crop-livestock complex systems. Meanwhile, the study designed an emergy-based indices system based on “3R” principles of circular economy. An integrated crop-livestock system including sweet maize cultivation and cow dairy farm in South China was selected as the case to compare sustainability of recoupling and decoupling models under the unified system boundary and modified indices. Results showed that the new ES framework could provide more rational assessment results when comparing the recoupling and decoupling crop-livestock systems. In addition, this study illustrated, through scenario simulation, that the recoupling maize-cow model could be further optimized by regulating the material flow between subsystems and adjusting the system structure. This study would promote the application of ES method in the field of agricultural circular economy.

Rebuilding the crop-livestock integration system in China ——Based on the perspective of circular economy

From the perspective of the agricultural circular economy, rebuilding the crop-livestock integration system contributes a lot to improving the recycling rate of livestock manure, and reducing the application of synthetic chemical fertilizers, thereby fundamentally curbing agricultural pollution. In this paper, we use the latest provincial statistical data of China (2000–2020) to assess the circulation linkage between crop and livestock production. It can be concluded that livestock manure nitrogen and nitrogen requirements of crops both show an increasing trend from 2000 to 2020. Cropland Carrying Capacity of Breeding Livestock (CCCBL) has risen significantly by 37.34%, with an increase of 0.97 × 109 heads (unit: pig equivalent, which is used to measure livestock manure emission). Cropland Carrying Capacity Index (CCCI) exhibits a decreasing trend with the index being 0.47 in 2020, which further indicates that China's cropland has a great potential for carrying more livestock manure. Furthermore, through the scenario simulation, it can be projected that the livestock manure nitrogen will be 18.91 Tg and nitrogen requirements of crops will be 36.14 Tg in 2050. Thereby, rebuilding the crop-livestock integration system is necessary to achieve the dual goal of economic development and environmental conservation. Finally, this paper proposes that the government should optimize the crop-livestock geographical distribution and promote the upgradation of circular agriculture.