A research challenge vision regarding management of agricultural waste in a circular bio-based economy

TLDR

Agricultural waste represents a large untapped biomass resource that can be converted into bioenergy and bio‑based products through cascading processes in a circular economy, yet its environmental and economic impacts are hard to assess due to complexity, seasonality, and regionality. The paper identifies major transdisciplinary challenges in Europe and proposes early‑stage multi‑criteria decision support tools, promotes residue‑based business via industrial ecology, and encourages stakeholder collaboration to optimize material and knowledge flows. The authors examine improvements to anaerobic digestion considering feedstock geographic and seasonal variations, and evaluate the use of agricultural residues to produce high‑value chemicals through eco‑efficient, cost‑effective cascading conversion (bio‑refinery) processes. The study finds that producing high‑value chemicals from agricultural residues is a considerable challenge, but can be addressed by eco‑efficient, cost‑effective cascading conversion within a bio‑refinery concept.

Abstract

Agricultural waste is a huge pool of untapped biomass resources that may even represent economic and environmental burdens. They can be converted into bioenergy and bio-based products by cascading conversion processes, within circular economy, and should be considered residual resources. Major challenges are discussed from a transdisciplinary perspective, focused on Europe situation. Environmental and economic consequences of agricultural residue management chains are difficult to assess due to their complexity, seasonality and regionality. Designing multi-criteria decision support tools, applicable at an early-stage of research, is discussed. Improvement of Anaerobic Digestion (AD), one of the most mature conversion technologies, is discussed from a technological point of view and waste feedstock geographical and seasonal variations. Using agricultural residual resources for producing high-value chemicals is a considerable challenge analysed here, taking into account innovative eco-efficient and cost-effective cascading conversion processes (bio-refinery concept). Moreover, the promotion of agricultural residues-based business is discussed through industrial ecology, to promote synergy, on a local basis, between different agricultural and industrial value chains. Finally, to facilitate a holistic approach and optimise materials and knowledge flows management, the connection of stakeholders is discussed to promote cross-sectorial collaboration and resource exchange at appropriate geographic scales.