Circular Economy and Sustainable Practices in Regenerative Agricultural Productivity

• Datum: 2025
• Hauptverfasser: Boincean, Boris, Pacurariu, Roxana Lavina, Rhazzali, Andreea Loredana, Cebanu, Dorin
• Format: Artikel
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlicht: Dr. Viktor Koval 2025
• Schlagworte: Circular Economy; Crop Rotation; Renewable Resources; Soil Health; Sustainable Agriculture.
• Online Zugang: https://ees-journal.com/index.php/journal/article/view/313
• Назва журналу: Economics Ecology Socium

Introduction. The industrial model of agricultural intensification, focused on the intensive use of non-renewable energy sources and their derivatives (such as mineral fertilisers and pesticides), has not generated sustainable development from an economic, ecological, and social point of view. The apparent success of this model has been built on the degradation of natural and social capital and on the transfer of ecological and health costs to society. The widening imbalance between ever-higher industrial input prices and stagnant agricultural production incomes has heightened farmers’ economic vulnerability. Aim and tasks. The study focuses on the circular economy and sustainable regenerative agricultural practices, while examining the limitations of a reductionist approach that focuses on short-term profit at the expense of economic, environmental, and social balance. Results. Based on data obtained in long-term experiments carried out in the Republic of Moldova and Romania, the article supports the need for a transition to an alternative agricultural model, based on the use of local renewable energy sources, deep recycling in accordance with the circular economy, and the restoration of the function of the soil. Applying practices such as diversified crop rotation, including perennial legumes and composted organic matter, substantially reduces dependence on industrial input, increasing the resilience and competitiveness of agricultural systems. In rotations that included mixtures of alfalfa and perennial grasses, the application of compost led to an average increase in winter wheat production compared to unfertilised variants, and the supplementation with mineral fertilisers did not bring additional benefits and even caused decreases (0.10–0.16 t/ha) in yield. Conclusions. The importance of this study lies in providing a conceptual framework for the reconfiguration paradigm of agricultural intensification. This study proposes practical and sustainable solutions adapted to the current conditions in Eastern Europe, with expansion potential for international application in the transition to agroecological systems aligned with the circular economy. Long-term experiments showed that in rotations that include perennial legumes and composted organic matter, the average yield of winter wheat increased by 0.52 t/ha compared to unfertilised variants. Simultaneously, additional fertilisation with mineral fertilisers did not result in additional gains and, in some cases, reduced yields, which underlines the efficiency of organic inputs in diversified rotations.