The book explores the innovative and sustainable practices essential to transforming modern agriculture through the principles of the circular economy. It delves into how agriculture can transition from a traditional, linear system, where resources are extracted, used, and discarded to a regenerative model that emphasizes resource efficiency, waste minimization, and sustainability. This transformation is crucial for addressing pressing global challenges, such as food security, environmental degradation, and the depletion of natural resources. By focusing on key pillars like soil health, water conservation, waste management, and the efficient use of renewable energy, the book offers a comprehensive guide to adopting circular strategies in farming. It highlights how these approaches can reduce input costs, improve yields, and minimize environmental impacts, contributing to the long-term sustainability of agricultural systems. The book also emphasizes the role of biotechnology, digital innovations, and smart farming techniques in enabling this transition, providing farmers with modern tools to optimize resource use and improve resilience. Besides the technological aspects, the book addresses the social and economic dimensions of the circular economy, emphasizing the importance of community engagement, agricultural extension services, and policy support. It underscores the need for collaborative efforts between farmers, governments, and stakeholders to build a resilient agricultural system that not only preserves the environment but also enhances rural livelihoods. Through a blend of theoretical insights and practical examples, this book serves as an essential resource for researchers, policy-makers, farmers, and professionals seeking to implement circular economy principles in agriculture, paving the way for a more sustainable and resilient food system.
Dr. Ajay Kumar Prusty pursued his Ph.D. Agricultural Science (Extension Education) from Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, presently working as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Agricultural Extension Education, M.S. Swaminathan School of Agriculture, Centurion University of Technology & Management, Odisha, India. Dr. Prusty has over 60 publications, including articles in SCOPUS, WoS, UGC-CARE indexed, NAAS-rated journals, books, chapters and popular articles. Dr. Prusty has published 4 Indian Patents and has 3 Australian Patents Granted. Dr. Prusty is an Editor of the International Journal of Agriculture Extension & Social Development. Dr. Prusty has received several awards from prestigious societies for outstanding teaching, research and extension performance. Dr. Prusty has organised several international and national conferences, workshops and seminars.
Dr. Sangram Paramaguru works as a Senior Scientist and Head at the Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Gajapati, R. Udayagiri, Odisha University of Agriculture & Technology, Bhubaneswar. He was awarded a Ph.D. in Agricultural Extension from Visva-Bharati, Shantiniketan, West Bengal. He has 18 years of experience in the Extension wing. He also worked as a Principal Investigator (PI) and CO-PI in some of the institute projects and had exposure visits to many institutes. He has attended many international and national seminars/conferences, as well as faculty/capacity development programmes and training programmes. He has in his credit several research papers published in reputed journals of the country, popular articles and other extension publications.
Dr. Ansuman Satapathy earned his Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar. He is currently serving as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Sikshya “O” Anusandhan (Deemed to be University), Odisha, India. Dr. Satapathy has an impressive portfolio of research, with numerous publications in SCOPUS, UGC-CARE, and NAAS-listed journals. His dedication to academia has been recognized with several awards, reflecting his excellence in both teaching and research. He has actively participated in various national and international conferences, contributing his expertise in agricultural economics. Dr. Satapathy’s work continues to influence the field and his commitment to advancing knowledge and practice in agricultural economics is evident throughout his career.
Mr. Lakhan Lal Meena is a subject matter specialist (agriculture extension) at Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Nuapada, Odisha University of Agriculture & Technology, Bhubaneswar. He was awarded M.Sc. degree in Agricultural Extension from Odisha University of Agriculture & Technology, Bhubaneswar. He has experience of 8 years in extension in the discipline. He has worked as a Principal Investigator (PI) and Co-PI in some of the institute’s projects and also had exposure visits to many institutes. He has attended many international and national seminars/conferences and faculty/capacity building development and training programmes. He has in his credit several research papers published in reputed journals of the country, popular articles and other extension publications.
1 Introduction to Circular Economy in Agriculture......................................1
2 Agricultural Sustainability and The Circular Economy Framework .....................................................................................................13
3 Soil Health as The Foundation of a Circular Economy............................25
4 Water Conservation in Agriculture: Adopting a Circular Economy Approach ......................................................................................35
5 Crop Residue Management: Enhancing Circular Economy in Farming ......................................................................................................45
6 Integrated Pest Management for a Sustainable Circular Economy in Farming.....................................................................................55
7 Sustainable Fertilizer Solutions: Harnessing Waste for Nutrient Recovery.........................................................................................65
8 How Circular Food Supply Chains Enhance the Food System..............81
9 Bio-based Innovations: Transforming Circular Agriculture through Biotechnology .................................................................................91
10 Agricultural Extension Services: Key to a Thriving Circular Economy........................................................................................107
11 Turning Agricultural Waste into Resources: Circular Economy Innovations .................................................................................119
12 Revolutionizing Agro-Processing with Food Processing for Circular Economy........................................................................................129
13 Social Dimension Strategies for Effective Circular Agriculture ...........143
14 Integrating Smart Farming with Digital Tech for Circular Agriculture..............................................................................157
15 How Renewable Energy in Agriculture Fuels the Circular Economy........................................................................................169
16 Policy Mechanisms for Financing Circular Economy in Agriculture...............................................................................................179
References.....................................................................................................189
