IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/ags/sieaea/335071.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Circular Economy in the Agri-food system: A Performance Measurement of European Countries

Author

Listed:
  • Arru, Brunella
  • Furesi, Roberto
  • Pulina, Pietro
  • Sau, Paola
  • Madau, Fabio A.

Abstract

Agriculture and the agri-food industry are central to fostering economic growth and the Sustainable Development Goals’ targets. However, to meet the world’s future development, it is necessary to make the agri-food system more resource-efficient. The transition towards the circular economy (CE) paradigm is commonly seen as a promising strategy to overcome the critical issues affecting the sector. However, different theoretical and practical problems still need to be solved. Specifically, the CE performance measurement of specific sectors or national systems is crucial as it helps to identify and correct any deviation from the vision set out for achieving the sustainable development objectives. This article aims to contribute to CE research, focusing on European agriculture and the agri-food sector. Drawing on the EE-MRIO database EXIOBASE v3.7, this paper estimates the level of circularity in the European Union countries and the role of agriculture and agri-food in determining circularity. Results showed that circularity in the EU is low and significant differences between countries exist. Agriculture contributes to 80.5% of the entire amount of recycled materials in Europe. Vice versa, the contribution provided by the agri-food sector is limited to 1%. Some policy implications derive from this study.

Suggested Citation

  • Arru, Brunella & Furesi, Roberto & Pulina, Pietro & Sau, Paola & Madau, Fabio A., 2022. "The Circular Economy in the Agri-food system: A Performance Measurement of European Countries," Economia agro-alimentare / Food Economy, Italian Society of Agri-food Economics/Società Italiana di Economia Agro-Alimentare (SIEA), vol. 24(2), September.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:sieaea:335071
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.335071
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/335071/files/EAA_2022_Madau.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.22004/ag.econ.335071?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Fenna Blomsma & Geraldine Brennan, 2017. "The Emergence of Circular Economy: A New Framing Around Prolonging Resource Productivity," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 21(3), pages 603-614, June.
    2. Massimiliano Borrello & Stefano Pascucci & Luigi Cembalo, 2020. "Three Propositions to Unify Circular Economy Research: A Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-22, May.
    3. Nino Adamashvili & Filomena Chiara & Mariantonietta Fiore, 2019. "Food Loss and Waste, a global responsibility?!," Economia agro-alimentare, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 21(3), pages 825-846.
    4. Xue, Bing & Chen, Xing-peng & Geng, Yong & Guo, Xiao-jia & Lu, Cheng-peng & Zhang, Zi-long & Lu, Chen-yu, 2010. "Survey of officials’ awareness on circular economy development in China: Based on municipal and county level," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 54(12), pages 1296-1302.
    5. Stefano Merciai & Jannick Schmidt, 2018. "Methodology for the Construction of Global Multi†Regional Hybrid Supply and Use Tables for the EXIOBASE v3 Database," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 22(3), pages 516-531, June.
    6. Manal Hamam & Gaetano Chinnici & Giuseppe Di Vita & Gioacchino Pappalardo & Biagio Pecorino & Giulia Maesano & Mario D’Amico, 2021. "Circular Economy Models in Agro-Food Systems: A Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-18, March.
    7. Alessandro Muscio & Roberta Sisto, 2020. "Are Agri-Food Systems Really Switching to a Circular Economy Model? Implications for European Research and Innovation Policy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(14), pages 1-15, July.
    8. L. Rocchi & L. Paolotti & C. Cortina & F. F. Fagioli & A. Boggia, 2021. "Measuring circularity: an application of modified Material Circularity Indicator to agricultural systems," Agricultural and Food Economics, Springer;Italian Society of Agricultural Economics (SIDEA), vol. 9(1), pages 1-13, December.
    9. Benedetta Esposito & Maria Rosaria Sessa & Daniela Sica & Ornella Malandrino, 2020. "Towards Circular Economy in the Agri-Food Sector. A Systematic Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-21, September.
    10. Kirchherr, Julian & Reike, Denise & Hekkert, Marko, 2017. "Conceptualizing the circular economy: An analysis of 114 definitions," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 127(C), pages 221-232.
    11. Andreas Mayer & Willi Haas & Dominik Wiedenhofer & Fridolin Krausmann & Philip Nuss & Gian Andrea Blengini, 2019. "Measuring Progress towards a Circular Economy: A Monitoring Framework for Economy‐wide Material Loop Closing in the EU28," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 23(1), pages 62-76, February.
    12. Jonathan M. Cullen, 2017. "Circular Economy: Theoretical Benchmark or Perpetual Motion Machine?," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 21(3), pages 483-486, June.
    13. Jaroslaw Golebiewski & Josu Takala & Oskar Juszczyk & Nina Drejerska, 2019. "Local contribution to circular economy. A case study of a Polish rural municipality," Economia agro-alimentare, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 21(3), pages 771-791.
    14. Alexandra Jurgilevich & Traci Birge & Johanna Kentala-Lehtonen & Kaisa Korhonen-Kurki & Janna Pietikäinen & Laura Saikku & Hanna Schösler, 2016. "Transition towards Circular Economy in the Food System," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(1), pages 1-14, January.
    15. Korhonen, Jouni & Honkasalo, Antero & Seppälä, Jyri, 2018. "Circular Economy: The Concept and its Limitations," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 143(C), pages 37-46.
    16. Zengwei Yuan & Jun Bi & Yuichi Moriguichi, 2006. "The Circular Economy: A New Development Strategy in China," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 10(1‐2), pages 4-8, January.
    17. Willi Haas & Fridolin Krausmann & Dominik Wiedenhofer & Markus Heinz, 2015. "How Circular is the Global Economy?: An Assessment of Material Flows, Waste Production, and Recycling in the European Union and the World in 2005," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 19(5), pages 765-777, October.
    18. Vincent Moreau & Marlyne Sahakian & Pascal Griethuysen & François Vuille, 2017. "Coming Full Circle: Why Social and Institutional Dimensions Matter for the Circular Economy," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 21(3), pages 497-506, June.
    19. Glenn A. Aguilar-Hernandez & Carlos Pablo Sigüenza-Sanchez & Franco Donati & João F. D. Rodrigues & Arnold Tukker, 2018. "Assessing circularity interventions: a review of EEIOA-based studies," Journal of Economic Structures, Springer;Pan-Pacific Association of Input-Output Studies (PAPAIOS), vol. 7(1), pages 1-24, December.
    20. Patrick Schroeder & Kartika Anggraeni & Uwe Weber, 2019. "The Relevance of Circular Economy Practices to the Sustainable Development Goals," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 23(1), pages 77-95, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Brunella Arru & Roberto Furesi & Pietro Pulina & Paola Sau & Fabio A. Madau, 2022. "The Circular Economy in the Agri-food system: A Performance Measurement of European Countries," Economia agro-alimentare, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 24(2), pages 1-35.
    2. Chembessi Chedrak & Gohoungodji Paulin & Juste Rajaonson, 2023. "“A fine wine, better with age”: Circular economy historical roots and influential publications: A bibliometric analysis using Reference Publication Year Spectroscopy (RPYS)," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 27(6), pages 1593-1612, December.
    3. Hervé Corvellec & Alison F. Stowell & Nils Johansson, 2022. "Critiques of the circular economy," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 26(2), pages 421-432, April.
    4. Yamoah, Fred A. & Sivarajah, Uthayasankar & Mahroof, Kamran & Peña, Iker González, 2022. "Demystifying corporate inertia towards transition to circular economy: A management frame of reference," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 244(C).
    5. D. D’Amato, 2021. "Sustainability Narratives as Transformative Solution Pathways: Zooming in on the Circular Economy," Circular Economy and Sustainability,, Springer.
    6. Georgios Lanaras-Mamounis & Anastasios Kipritsis & Thomas A. Tsalis & Konstantinos Ι. Vatalis & Ioannis E. Nikolaou, 2022. "A Framework for Assessing the Contribution of Firms to Circular Economy: a Triple-Level Approach," Circular Economy and Sustainability,, Springer.
    7. Philipp Schäfer & Mario Schmidt, 2021. "Model-based analysis of the limits of recycling for its contribution to climate change mitigation [Modellgestützte Analyse der Grenzen des Beitrags von Recycling zum Klimaschutz]," NachhaltigkeitsManagementForum | Sustainability Management Forum, Springer, vol. 29(2), pages 65-75, June.
    8. Daniel A. Salas & Paulina Criollo & Angel D. Ramirez, 2021. "The Role of Higher Education Institutions in the Implementation of Circular Economy in Latin America," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-27, August.
    9. Maryam Hina & Chetna Chauhan & Rajat Sharma & Amandeep Dhir, 2023. "Circular economy business models as pillars of sustainability: Where are we now, and where are we heading?," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(8), pages 6182-6209, December.
    10. Monia Niero & Charlotte L. Jensen & Chiara Farné Fratini & Jens Dorland & Michael S. Jørgensen & Susse Georg, 2021. "Is life cycle assessment enough to address unintended side effects from Circular Economy initiatives?," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 25(5), pages 1111-1120, October.
    11. Edgar Battand Towa Kouokam & Vanessa Zeller & Wouter Achten, 2021. "Assessing the circularity of regions: Stakes of trade of waste for treatment," ULB Institutional Repository 2013/332186, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    12. Mark Anthony Camilleri, 2021. "Sustainable Production and Consumption of Food. Mise-en-Place Circular Economy Policies and Waste Management Practices in Tourism Cities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-13, September.
    13. Chia‐Hao Ho & Steffen Böhm & David Monciardini, 2022. "The collaborative and contested interplay between business and civil society in circular economy transitions," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 31(6), pages 2714-2727, September.
    14. Alejandro Aristi Capetillo & Fredric Bauer & Cristina Chaminade, 2023. "Emerging Technologies Supporting the Transition to a Circular Economy in the Plastic Materials Value Chain," Circular Economy and Sustainability,, Springer.
    15. Concepción Garcés-Ayerbe & Pilar Rivera-Torres & Inés Suárez-Perales & Dante I. Leyva-de la Hiz, 2019. "Is It Possible to Change from a Linear to a Circular Economy? An Overview of Opportunities and Barriers for European Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise Companies," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(5), pages 1-15, March.
    16. Andrea Cecchin & Roberta Salomone & Pauline Deutz & Andrea Raggi & Laura Cutaia, 2021. "What Is in a Name? The Rising Star of the Circular Economy as a Resource-Related Concept for Sustainable Development," Circular Economy and Sustainability,, Springer.
    17. Clube, Rebecca K.M. & Tennant, Mike, 2020. "The Circular Economy and human needs satisfaction: Promising the radical, delivering the familiar," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).
    18. Roel Delahaye & Vivian S. C. Tunn & Arnold Tukker, 2023. "Developing a material flow monitor for the Netherlands from national statistical data," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 27(2), pages 408-422, April.
    19. Cris Garcia-Saravia Ortiz-de-Montellano & Yvonne Meer, 2022. "A Theoretical Framework for Circular Processes and Circular Impacts Through a Comprehensive Review of Indicators," Global Journal of Flexible Systems Management, Springer;Global Institute of Flexible Systems Management, vol. 23(2), pages 291-314, June.
    20. Lucas Becerra & Sebastián Carenzo & Paula Juarez, 2020. "When Circular Economy Meets Inclusive Development. Insights from Urban Recycling and Rural Water Access in Argentina," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(23), pages 1-21, November.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Agribusiness;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:ags:sieaea:335071. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: AgEcon Search (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/sieaaea.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.