Circular Utilization of Livestock Manure: From Animal Production to Resource Recovery

Dear Colleagues,

Livestock production is vital for global food security and supporting rural economies, yet it produces significant amounts of manure, which has notable environmental, economic, and public health impacts. However, manure should not be regarded solely as a waste product, but as a valuable source of nutrients, organic matter, energy, and other resources within circular agricultural systems.

Manure quantity and composition depend on animal species and breed, nutrition, health, housing, production system, and management practices. Understanding these interactions, alongside the development of innovative treatment and valorization strategies, is essential to improve the sustainability and resource efficiency of livestock production.

This Special Issue aims to present recent advances in animal science, livestock production, agricultural engineering, environmental science, and related disciplines addressing the sustainable management and circular utilization of livestock manure. We particularly welcome multidisciplinary studies linking animal production and management with manure characteristics, environmental impacts, treatment technologies, resource recovery, and circular-economy approaches.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Animal-related determinants of manure production and composition, including species, breed, nutrition, health, housing, and production system;
• Livestock production systems with optimized manure management;
• Anaerobic digestion, biogas/biomethane, composting, biochar, and other manure valorization technologies;
• Nutrient recovery and recycling from manure and digestate;
• Manure microbiology, pathogens, antimicrobial resistance, and contaminants;
• Greenhouse gas, ammonia, odor, and other emission mitigation strategies;
• Precision livestock farming and digital technologies for manure and environmental monitoring;
• Manure application, soil health, nutrient availability, and crop responses;
• Animal nutrition and management strategies to reduce nutrient and environmental losses;
• Life cycle assessment, carbon footprinting, and techno-economic assessment;
• Integration of livestock production, manure valorization, crop production, and bioenergy within circular agricultural systems;
• Policy, regulatory, socio-economic, and farmer perspectives.

We look forward to your valuable contributions to this Special Issue, which aims to provide a multidisciplinary platform for researchers and practitioners working toward more sustainable, resource-efficient, and circular livestock production systems.

Dr. Gustavo Paixão
Dr. Joaquim Orlando Lima Cerqueira
Guest Editors

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