The role of renewable sources in energy efficiency among agro-industrial complexes: An integrative literature review

Rapidly changing global economic conditions and geopolitical tensions are prompting countries to rethink their energy and food security strategies more rigorously than ever before. This urgency is particularly evident in many developing countries, especially those of the former Soviet Union (FSU), which have intensified their efforts to reconceptualize agro-industrial complexes (AICs) concerning energy efficiency and renewable energy. The aim of this study is to conduct an integrative literature review to provide a systematic and comprehensive perspective on this subject. An analysis based on the Scopus and Google Scholar databases shows that AICs have attracted considerable interest in recent years due to their potential to increase the efficiency and competitiveness of the agricultural sectors. The main issue with AICs is the urgent need to scale up their application in conjunction with sustainable development practices such as green growth, circular economy and energy transition. The integration of renewable energy sources into AICs can improve agricultural development by promoting the production and integration of sustainable energy into the agricultural sector. The literature review concludes with theoretical and conceptual implications on the studied topic that will be of interest to scholars, policy makers and businesses.