COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF CIRCULAR ECONOMY INDICATORS ACROSS EUROPEAN COUNTRIES

Circular economy is a development strategy that is based on the principle of reduction, reuse and recycling, also called the 3-R principle aiming to create a closed-loop system where the outputs of one process become the inputs for another, fostering efficiency and resilience. The development of the circular economy by production sectors involves implementation of sustainable practices working towards minimizing waste, optimizing resource efficiency by use of by-products and regenerate natural systems. In agrofood sector, this can be practically translated in various strategies such as recycling organic waste to create fertilisers for soil enrichment, employing precision farming techniques to minimize input use while maximizing yields, adopting agroecology practices to enhance biodiversity and soil health, and promoting local food systems to reduce transportation emissions. In this context, the purpose of the paper is to analyse the dynamics of circular economy indicators with impact on the agrifood sector at the level of the EU countries, thus comparing the diversity of circular economy implementation levels.