CIRCULAR BIOECONOMY IN AGRICULTURE: VALORIZATION OF AGRICULTURAL WASTE INTO RENEWABLE ENERGY AND BIOPRODUCTS

Abstract

 The transition to a circular bioeconomy in agriculture must necessitate the new approaches to process and use agricultural wastes in a manner that is environmentally friendly.  The research method employed a combined mix of qualitative and quantitative methods to experimentally determine the conversion of agricultural residues and livestock manure into renewable energy and bioproducts, and, at the same time, to estimate the perceptions of the stakeholders on the matter of feasibility and acceptability.  Laboratory-scale work demonstrated that anaerobic digestion was applicable to producing biogas and thermochemical conversion was applicable to producing biochar. The findings indicated that the two processes have the potential to generate an abundance of methane and biochar that are both nutrient-rich and may enhance the soil fertility.  Energy recovery efficiency calculations indicated that these technologies can be used as an alternative to fossil fuels that are renewable.  Including the quantitative and qualitative data of the interviews with farmers and workshops with stakeholders revealed a great desire to make use of the waste-to-resource technology. But this aspiration was contained by the fact that there was a need to improve infrastructure, training and monetary rewards.  According to the study, the transformation of agricultural waste into something that is useful is not only beneficial to the environment in terms of reducing greenhouse gases emissions and minimizing the amount of trash, it is also beneficial to the security of energy, the rejuvenation of soil, and the socio-economic development of rural areas.  This study confirms the technical feasibility, environmental benefits, and social approval of waste valorization methods, and therefore, place circular bioeconomy models as the transformative methods of sustainable agriculture.  The implications of the results are significant to policy makers and practitioners who would desire to accelerate the transition to more efficient and closed-loop agricultural systems.