Recycling Agro-Food and Urban Wastes According the Circular Economy and Sustainability Paradigms—Volume II

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Agricultural Biosystem and Biological Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2024 | Viewed by 1271

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Institute of Sciences and Technologies for Sustainable Energy and Mobility (STEMS), Italian National Research Council, 7-00185 Rome, Italy
Interests: composting process; agro-food waste; urban waste; GHG; organic fertilizer, densification process; circular economy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail
Guest Editor
Institute of Sciences and Technologies for Sustainable Energy and Mobility (STEMS), National Research Council of Italy (CNR), 7-00185 Rome, Italy
Interests: eco-design; user-centered design; design thinking; sustainable communication; visual communication; green innovation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The increasing demand for food, feed, and fibres and the consequent production of high levels of waste at all stages, as well as the need to reduce consumption and depletion of non-renewable resources while assuring economic profitability and social and economic equity, demand a transition towards a sustainable circular economy model for their production, processing, and waste and by-product management. The circular economy is a model of production and consumption in which the life cycle of products is extended. Thus, the circular economy can be defined as a self-sustaining industrial economic model in which waste materials are used repeatedly and become new resources for the production processes. The circular economy represents a promising model for supporting sustainable agriculture and reducing the environmental impact of production, processing, and waste-management-related activities.

Aiming to promote sustainable agriculture and food and fibre production following a sustainable circular economy approach, this Special Issue focuses on agriculture and food, feed, and fibre waste management, as well as the treatment and promotion of alternate uses of processed materials. Contributions demonstrating relevance to achieving the United Nations sustainable development goals, the European Green Deal, and Farm to Fork Strategy are included among sought-after articles.

The Special Issue welcomes novel research, reviews, and opinion pieces covering all related topics, including, but not limited to:

  • Generation, characterization, and minimization;
  • Storage, collection, and transportation;
  • Treatment (mechanical, biological, chemical, thermal, other);
  • Emerging technologies of agro-food waste valorization;
  • Biofuels and renewable energy production;
  • Non-conventional utilization of processed wastes and by-products;
  • Organic fertilizer production and utilization;
  • Environmental assessments and planning;
  • Socio-economic analysis, policies, and regulations;
  • Corporate social responsibility and its impacts on stakeholders and society;
  • Circularity in agri-food industries.

Dr. Niccolò Pampuro
Dr. Eugenio Cavallo
Dr. Lucia Vigoroso
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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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. Agronomy is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

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Keywords

  • agro-food waste
  • waste valorization
  • circular economy
  • composting
  • anaerobic digestion
  • greenhouse gas emissions
  • organic fertilizer
  • renewable energy
  • alternative fuels
  • corporate social responsibility (CSR)
  • individuals’ perception

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

20 pages, 4403 KiB  
Article
Predictors for Green Energy vs. Fossil Fuels: The Case of Industrial Waste and Biogases in European Union Context
by Catalin Popescu, Manuela Rozalia Gabor and Adrian Stancu
Agronomy 2024, 14(7), 1459; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14071459 - 5 Jul 2024
Viewed by 438
Abstract
In the context of sustainability, the integration of renewable energy into industrial processes not only minimizes dependence on fossil fuels but also contributes to the efficient management of industrial waste. By transforming organic waste, including agri-food and urban waste, into biogas, green energy [...] Read more.
In the context of sustainability, the integration of renewable energy into industrial processes not only minimizes dependence on fossil fuels but also contributes to the efficient management of industrial waste. By transforming organic waste, including agri-food and urban waste, into biogas, green energy can be generated, thus reducing the impact on the environment and closing the loop of material used in the economic circuit. Thus, a sustainable system can be promoted, where resources are continuously reused and exploited. Statistical methods and a decision tree with the Classification and Regression Trees (CRT) algorithm were employed to analyze data. The paper focuses on the importance of industrial waste and biogas for the generation, transformation, and consumption of energy in the EU (European Union)-27 countries. To provide a thorough analysis, we have divided these countries based on real gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, grouping them above/below the annual average for the period 2012–2021/2022. Descriptive statistics revealed observable differences between the two groups, but the paper aimed to provide evidence regarding the existence of these differences as statistically significant. Using the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test, the non-normal distribution of the data was confirmed, requiring non-parametric inferential methods. The Mann–Whitney U test revealed statistically significant differences between the two groups for all the studied variables. This comprehensive approach highlights the distinct energy-related characteristics influenced by economic development in the EU-27. Full article
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