Circular Economy for Climate & Sustainable Food Resources
A circular economy for climate & sustainable food resources helps to mitigate climate change, regenerate natural systems, mitigate waste, design-in continual use, and create sustainable food resources.
A significant component of greenhouse gas emissions is from the combustion of fossil fuels. And a significant portion also arises from resource extraction, production of products, and disposal of products.
Implementing circular economy processes in the non-fossil fuel combustion components of products are essential to meeting climate and sustainability goals.
Topics:
- Outdated Linear Economy
- Circular Economy for Climate & Sustainable Food Resources
- Practices for Circular Economy in Agriculture
- Activities along the Agri-Food Chain & Circular Economy
- Closed Loop Systems
- Ellen MacArthur Foundation
- Platform for Accelerating Circular Economy (PACE)
- World Circular Economic Forum 2021 – hosted by Canada
- Plans for Future Progress & Circular Economy in Agriculture
Outdated Linear Economy
The historically adopted and currently embedded linear economic process system is where one takes natural or raw materials, produces, consumes, disposes, and quickly generates waste and pollution.
In addition to end-of-use waste, waste and pollution occurs all along the value chain.
And the lifetimes of many products are continually declining – sometimes from years to months.
The linear economy is now an outdated economic system.
Circular Economy for Climate & Sustainable Food Resources
A circular economy is an economic system aimed at eliminating waste and designing in the continual use of resources.
A starting point is reducing food waste and food loss along the agri-food value chain. There are opportunities to recover healthy and nutritious components from food loss and food waste along the agri-food value chain. Also, regenerative agricultural practices help to sequester carbon into soils and improve soil health.
Then, efficiencies can be realized throughout via long-lasting design, maintenance, repair, reuse, remanufacturing, refurbishing, and recycling.
For more information, refer to Education.
Practices for Circular Economy in Agriculture
- Choosing low carbon materials
- Designing to minimize waste in the broader system
- Reusing as much waste streams as possible
- Capturing nutrients from fertilizer application and reusing
- Capturing nutrients from food waste and reconnecting the flow of nutrients rather than sending to landfills
- Practicing regenerative agriculture / soil carbon sequestration to capture carbon and improve soil health
- Implementing uniform methods to measure the soil quality
- Providing initiatives to increase the earnings of farmers
- Reducing the use of artificial fertilizers in favor of natural manure
- Closing the fodder-manure cycle.
Global Research Alliance (GRA) - Integrative Research Group (IRG)
In 2021 the Integrative Research Group (IRG) of the GRA is leading the setup a Circular Food Systems (CFS) network.
The network will help mobilize global researchers and policy makers focusing on circularity within agricultural systems and opportunities for GHG mitigation
Activities along the Agri-Food Chain & Circular Economy
The agriculture food chain begins with producing raw materials used for growing foods, including seeds, fertilizers, crop protection products, machinery, buildings…
The growing of foods involves cultivating, planting, applying farm management practices, drying where applicable, harvesting.
Post production involves transportation, manufacturing, packaging, distribution, storage, heating, cooling, retail operations…
Consumption involves food choices, cooling, freezing, cooking, disposing of food and packaging.
Today, there is a significant need to make the entire agri-food chain sustainable. Implementing circular economy principles needs to be an area of focus.
Closed Loop for Sustainable Food Resources
Closed-loop systems for sustainable food resources form a subset of circular economy systems. In food production, these systems are typically found in vertical farms, greenhouses, and specific fish farms.
Food producers and growers seek to close the loop for nutrients. They do this by recycling the nutrients in waste and re-using these in crop production. Also, growers want to recycle the water used in their operations where feasible.
When closed-loop systems are prioritized in vertical farming and greenhouse operations, they support annual local production, offer environmental improvements, help protect natural habitats, and conserve valuable resources.
For more information, please refer to Education. And for an example of closed-loop in plastics that encompasses circular economy please see Closed Loop Partners.
Ellen MacArthur Foundation
According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, a circular economy is underpinned by a transition to renewable energy sources. It builds on economic, social, and natural capital. The 3 principles of a circular economy are:
- Design out waste and pollution
- Keep products and materials in use
- Regenerate natural systems
The circular economy is a regenerative system in which resource input and waste, emission, and energy leakage are minimized by slowing, closing, and narrowing energy and material loops.
For more information, please also refer to:
Platform for Accelerating Circular Economy (PACE)
PACE was created to connect leaders who are committed to creating a circular economy, and promote the transition to a circular economy.
Noting that the food system today is wasteful, resource intensive, and polluting, supporting the increasing global population and sustainable food systems requires building a circular economy.
For more information:
Platform for Accelerating the Circular Economy (PACE)
Platform for Accelerating the Circular Economy – Action Agenda for Food
World Circular Economic Forum 2021 - hosted by Canada
The World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF), will be held in Toronto, Ontario, at the Beanfield Centre, from September 13 to 15, 2021.
WCEF2021 will mark the first time the forum is held in North America.
Plans for Future Progress & Circular Economy in Agriculture
Agriculture needs to transform to feed the growing population sustainably.
The American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers released in early 2021 a roadmap for implementing circular economy principles in key areas to replace the traditional unsustainable systems found in agriculture today.
Preliminary scenarios include:
- Circular Open Field Systems for i.e., corn and soybeans
- Circular Open-Field Fresh Market for i.e., tomatoes
- Controlled Biology-Based Indoor Circular Food Systems
- Other
Additional Resources
- Last Modified: May 17, 2024