Trends in the circular economy applied to the agricultural sector in the framework of the SDGs

The Circular Economy is now the focus of attention in various sectors, and many international organisations, such as FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP and WHO, are showing great interest in the issue (FAO, 2021). In the 2030 agenda published by the UN in 2015, specifically SDG 2 says ‘End hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture’. Hence, research on the application of Circular Economy methods in agriculture has become increasingly relevant. The main objective of this study was to analyse the evolution of this line of research and identify current trends linking Circular Economy and Agriculture and identify the drivers in this area of study. A bibliometric analysis of the articles produced in the period 2005–2020 was therefore carried out. The results show, in an irrefutable manner, that this topic is increasingly gaining visibility and relevance, that coincides with the establishment of the SDGs. The analysis of the key words highlighted three main lines of research: sustainability and sustainable development, as the eco-sustainable management of agricultural processes; bioenergy, produced from waste or agricultural production; life-cycle assessment, methods for calculating the environmental and health impacts of agricultural production processes. Interest in the Circular Economy depends on the awareness on the topic shown by each country. This is also reflected in the research. The regions where studies on Circular Economy and Agriculture are mainly carried out are Europe, Asia, North and South America, while Russia, Africa, the Middle East and Oceania still suffer from a certain gap. The situation of studies limited to Circular Economy applied to organic agriculture was also briefly analysed, and it was pointed out that in recent years many researchers have turned towards this field of research. Many studies tend to show that organic farming is the only primary activity that allows environmentally sustainable production and consumption.