Circular Economy in Livestock Production

Dear Colleagues,

Livestock farms and processors today face a combination of structural, operational, economic, and environmental challenges, intensified by market volatility and consumer demands for affordable, welfare-friendly products. These pressures typically lead to environmental degradation, increased operational costs, and challenges in ensuring both economic and social sustainability. Circular economy strategies—reuse, recycling, valorization, renewable energy, precision livestock farming, nutrient cycling, and crop–livestock synergies—can improve productivity, resilience, and sustainability.

The aim of this Special Issue is to bring together contributions from a wide range of disciplines to analyze current trends and challenges, and the socioeconomic implications of adopting circular economy principles in livestock production. We seek to facilitate knowledge exchange, promote best practices and innovations, and discuss the opportunities and limitations of sustainable livestock farming frameworks across different contexts, as well as the broader implications of circular systems for sustainability, competitiveness, and resilience across animal food value chains. Submissions presenting empirical studies, case analyses, and real-world applications are particularly encouraged. Research areas may include, but are not limited to, the following topics:

• Circular economy approaches in livestock production and value chains;
• Nutrient recycling, manure management, and waste-to-value strategies;
• Valorization of livestock by-products for food, feed, or bioenergy;
• Integration of crop–livestock systems for resource efficiency;
• Precision livestock farming as a tool for circular resource management;
• Extensive livestock production, pastoralism, and traditional ecological knowledge;
• Policies and governance frameworks supporting circular livestock production;
• Socioeconomic analysis of sustainable livestock systems and animal food value chains;
• Sustainable management of livestock farms and valorization of livestock products;
• Modernization of livestock farms and precision livestock farming in line with emerging technological trends;
• Artisanal animal food production as an alternative to industrialized systems;
• Innovations and best practices for sustainable livestock production and value chains.

Through this Special Issue, we aim to advance both scientific understanding and real-world solutions that strengthen the economic performance and resilience of animal food value chains while safeguarding their environmental and social sustainability.

We warmly invite researchers to submit their original research, reviews, and perspectives on current conditions, and to identify opportunities for improvements to sustainability, competitiveness, and perspectives by providing evidence-based insights into circular economy practices in livestock production.

Dr. Georgia Koutouzidou
Dr. Athanasios Ragkos
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agriculture is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• circular economy
• livestock production
• animal food value chains
• economic performance
• sustainable livestock production
• farm resilience
• sustainability
• agricultural policy
• crop–livestock integration
• innovation in livestock systems
• precision livestock farming
• environmental sustainability
• innovation in livestock systems
• agricultural policy
• pastoral systems
• technological modernization.