Circular Economy Strategies in Sustainable Agriculture: Pathways to Climate Resilience and Decarbonization

In the context of accelerating climate change and increasing pressure on natural resources, agriculture needs to rethink its operating models to ensure both sustainability and long-term stability. The circular economy (CE) is increasingly invoked as a possible solution, but its concrete contribution to the climate resilience of agricultural systems remains insufficiently integrated and often assessed in a fragmented manner. This study aims to analyze the role of circular strategies in strengthening the climate resilience of agriculture, through a systemic approach based on multiple indicators. The methodology is based on a structured and comparative analysis of recent scientific literature, complemented by a bibliometric and co-occurrence analysis of keywords, in order to identify the main research directions and evaluation methods used. The analyzed indicators cover dimensions related to soil, water, crop performance, energy and socio-economic resilience of farms. The results suggest that circular economy strategies may contribute to climate resilience through cumulative, and context-dependent effects, including improvements in soil quality, resource-use efficiency, and reduced dependence on external inputs. However, evidence regarding direct impacts on production stability and adaptive capacity remains heterogeneous and often indirect. The study contributes by proposing an integrated conceptual framework that highlights the systemic nature of climate resilience and its links to decarbonization pathways, providing a basis for future empirical research and policy development.

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Publication Details

Journal
Sustainability
Published
2026-04-13
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/su18083838
Primary Topic
Sustainable Agricultural Systems Analysis
Type
article
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article

Circular Economy Strategies in Sustainable Agriculture: Pathways to Climate Resilience and Decarbonization

Lucian–Ionel Cioca, Ligia-Maria Nan, Elena Simina Lakatos, Anamaria SIM et al.
Sustainability
Sustainable Agricultural Systems Analysis
article

Circular Economy Strategies in Sustainable Agriculture: Pathways to Climate Resilience and Decarbonization

Lucian–Ionel Cioca, Ligia-Maria Nan, Elena Simina Lakatos, Anamaria SIM, Andreea Loredana Rhazzali, Ráhel Portik-Szabó
article en

Abstract

In the context of accelerating climate change and increasing pressure on natural resources, agriculture needs to rethink its operating models to ensure both sustainability and long-term stability. The circular economy (CE) is increasingly invoked as a possible solution, but its concrete contribution to the climate resilience of agricultural systems remains insufficiently integrated and often assessed in a fragmented manner. This study aims to analyze the role of circular strategies in strengthening the climate resilience of agriculture, through a systemic approach based on multiple indicators. The methodology is based on a structured and comparative analysis of recent scientific literature, complemented by a bibliometric and co-occurrence analysis of keywords, in order to identify the main research directions and evaluation methods used. The analyzed indicators cover dimensions related to soil, water, crop performance, energy and socio-economic resilience of farms. The results suggest that circular economy strategies may contribute to climate resilience through cumulative, and context-dependent effects, including improvements in soil quality, resource-use efficiency, and reduced dependence on external inputs. However, evidence regarding direct impacts on production stability and adaptive capacity remains heterogeneous and often indirect. The study contributes by proposing an integrated conceptual framework that highlights the systemic nature of climate resilience and its links to decarbonization pathways, providing a basis for future empirical research and policy development.

SustainabilityVol. 18(8)
Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu (RO), University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca (RO), Academia Oamenilor de Știință din România (RO), Romanian Institute of Science and Technology (RO)
Zero hunger
Openalex Percentile: Top 19%
Sustainable Agricultural Systems Analysis
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