Toward a Circular Economy in the Agro-Industrial and Food Sectors
A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2023) | Viewed by 2166
Special Issue Editors
Interests: bioenergy; circular economy; extraction of value-added product; biorefinery; thermochemical process; kinetics; exergy analysis; biomaterials; industrial ecology; production of platform molecules
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: bioenergy; circular economy; extraction of value-added product; biorefinery; thermochemical process; kinetics; exergy analysis; biomaterials; production of platform molecules
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: circular economy; extraction of value-added product; biorefinery; drying; biomaterials; biomimetics synthesis; production of platform molecules
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The circular economy refers to a production and consumption model that involves industrial processes and economic activities that are restorative or regenerative by design, enable resources used in such processes and activities to maintain their highest value for as long as possible, and aim for the elimination of waste through the superior design of materials, products, and systems (including business models). In practice, it implies reducing waste to a minimum and reaching the premise of “zero waste”.
This is a departure from the traditional, linear economic model, which is based on a take–make–consume–throw away pattern. This model relies on large quantities of cheap, easily accessible materials and energy.
Circularity is embraced within sustainable material management and demonstrates continuity in the emphasis on reducing lifecycle impacts of materials, including climate impacts, reducing the use of harmful materials, and decoupling material use from economic growth. The need to implement a circular economy approach for all has been identified: reducing the creation of waste with local communities in mind and implementing material management strategies that are inclusive of communities with environmental justice concerns.
At this point, to synthesize different research and compile all theoretical and empirical studies concerning the circular economy applied to the agro-industry and food sectors, researchers are invited to submit their work regarding diverse theoretical perspectives, varied empirical approaches, and multiple levels of analysis, as well as qualitative and quantitative experiments, literature reviews, and meta-analyses. This Special Issue aims to draw a comprehensive picture of the circular economy applied to the agro-industry and food sectors. We welcome submissions from various disciplines, but are not limited to the following topics:
- Circular economy as part of the organizational strategy;
- Circular economy as a conduit for sustainable growth;
- Industrial ecology;
- Biomimetics synthesis;
- Recycling and reuse;
- Biorefinery;
- Biomaterials;
- Production of platform molecules;
- Production of added-value compounds.
Prof. Dr. Rosa Rodriguez
Prof. Dr. Germán Mazza
Prof. Dr. María Paula Fabani
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. Sustainability 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 2400 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.
Keywords
- circular economy
- biorefinery
- biomimetics
- organizational strategy
- sustainable growth
- industrial ecology
- biomaterials
- platform molecules
