Mapping of research lines on circular economy practices in agriculture: From waste to energy

Abstract

Abstract Agriculture is one of the sectors that strongly contribute to greenhouse gas emissions on the planet. In this sense, circular economy practices can be advantageous when using bioenergy in the agro-industrial sector. Although only about 9% of the world's economy is circular, global initiatives have acted to change that scenario. Unlike the linear economy (take-make-use-dispose), the circular economy (grow-make-use-restore) aims to influence material and energy flows to increase environmental gains and avoid costs. Based on that, this study aims to map bioenergy boosters through circular economy practices in agriculture. To that end, a systematic literature review was conducted to present what is being developed in this field. To identify the most relevant, high impact, studies in the area, the systematic literature review was performed in three databases, covering all available literature up to date. The main research themes, applications, research topics, area of activity, countries, journals, publisher, and history of publication were identified. Therewith, some trends and perspectives could be drawn. To date, no solidly established authors have been identified in the area. The theme is recent and the vast majority of documents have been published over the last four years. European countries have been pioneering and are the most prominent in terms of publications. The electricity generation and biofuel produced from biogas have shown representativeness and are sustainable opportunities to advance the theme. Therefore, this study can contribute to encouraging the agricultural sector in implementing or increasing the use of circular economy practices.