The maturity level of the agri-food sector in the circular economy domain: A systematic literature review

The agri-food sector (AFS) is crucial in the transition towards sustainability. The Circular Economy (CE) has gained global attention as a tool to achieve it systemically. Nevertheless, it is necessary to understand the maturity level of circularity in the AFS. For that reason, this study aims to analyse, through a systematic and bibliometric literature review, examples of circularity in the sector at inter- and intra-company levels, considering case studies with a micro or meso perspective of analysis. The review was conducted using Scopus and Web of Science databases, identifying 43 peer-reviewed articles published from 2015 to the end of February 2022 and 162 practices. The review explored the maturity level of the agri-food sector in terms of circularity through the innovativeness of its practices. Results show that 51% of the practices have a conventional nature, whereas incremental and radical innovation represent 46% and 3% of the sample. The analysis also investigated, through content analysis, the links with Industrial symbiosis (IS), and sustainability, which remains poorly explored, especially in social terms. Although some limitations are present due to the research criteria, the study allows for deep diving into the characteristics of circularity in the sector by contributing to the definition of a database of circular best practices capable of driving practitioners towards its application and capturing challenges and potential ways of improvement.