The Economic Impact of Natural Resources

A special issue of Economies (ISSN 2227-7099). This special issue belongs to the section "Growth, and Natural Resources (Environment + Agriculture)".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 550

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
1. Department of Economics and Business, Faculty of Economics, Business and Tourism, University of Alcalá, Pl. Victoria, sn, Alcalá de Henares, 28802 Madrid, Spain
2. Economic and Institutional analysis, IMDEA Water, Avenida Punto Com 2, Alcalá de Henares, 28805 Madrid, Spain
Interests: water management; water pricing; water-energy nexus; economic analysis of environmental innovations; economic analysis of water systems; cost recovery of water services; environmental economics; water governance; water inequality; sustainable resource allocation

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Guest Editor
Department of Economics and Business, University of Alcalá, 28802 Alcalá de Henares, Spain
Interests: water management; water pricing; hydro-economic models; sustainable resource allocation; water-energy nexus; economic analysis of water systems; cost recovery of water services; environmental economics; water governance

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Guest Editor
University Institute of Water and Environmental Sciences, University of Alicante, 03690 Alicante, Spain
Interests: water management; hydro-economic models; sustainable resource allocation; water-energy nexus; economic analysis of water systems; integrated water resources management; water policy; environmental economics; water governance
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Natural resources are essential component in all human activities, including economic activities that are fundamental to ensuring the wellbeing of individuals. These activities encompass, inter alia, industry, energy, mining, agriculture, livestock and fisheries. Inaccessibility to the natural resources necessary for these activities prevents economic growth, which is a prerequisite for improving living conditions. However, it is imperative to recognise that the utilisation of these natural resources results in a number of economic, environmental and social impacts. Excessive or unsustainable exploitation, in conjunction with the resultant pollution from human activities, can lead to the depletion or contamination of these resources and the subsequent generation of economic imbalances and serious long-term environmental problems. Consequently, analysing the impact of using natural resources is crucial to making progress towards sustainable resource management, which can thus help mitigate negative impacts on the economy.

Dr. Marcos García-López
Dr. Alberto Del Villar
Dr. Joaquin Melgarejo
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • economic growth
  • sustainability of economic activities
  • labour market
  • international trade
  • dependence on natural resources
  • energy sources
  • circular economy
  • alternative water sources
  • investment in natural resources
  • pollution

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

24 pages, 504 KB  
Article
Circular Economy and Resource Efficiency in the Serbian Agri-Food Sector: Evidence from Dynamic Panel Analysis
by Dragana Novaković, Tihomir Novaković, Dragan Milić, Mirela Tomaš Simin, Srboljub Nikolić, Milena Knežević, Maja Radišić, Mladen Radišić and Dušan Pevac
Economies 2025, 13(12), 346; https://doi.org/10.3390/economies13120346 - 27 Nov 2025
Viewed by 316
Abstract
The transition toward sustainable, resource-efficient production has become a key challenge for agri-food systems, particularly in emerging economies, where profitability and environmental goals must be balanced. This study aimed to examine the relationship between financial structure, macroeconomic conditions, and circular economy (CE) indicators [...] Read more.
The transition toward sustainable, resource-efficient production has become a key challenge for agri-food systems, particularly in emerging economies, where profitability and environmental goals must be balanced. This study aimed to examine the relationship between financial structure, macroeconomic conditions, and circular economy (CE) indicators in determining the profitability of Serbian agri-food enterprises. Using panel data for 625 firms from 2014 to 2021, a two-step system GMM model was applied to control for endogeneity and firm-specific effects. The results indicate that in agriculture, moderate leverage enhances profitability, while excessive debt reduces it. Recycling and efficiency-oriented circular practices have a positive and significant effect on financial performance, suggesting that resource-efficient management supports long-term profitability. In the food industry, profitability shows strong persistence but remains mainly driven by internal and economic factors, with CE indicators exerting weaker short-term effects. Robustness tests confirm the validity and stability of the estimates. Overall, the findings highlight that integrating circular economy principles into business strategies can contribute to both financial sustainability and more efficient resource use in the agri-food sector. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Economic Impact of Natural Resources)
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