Agro-industrial residues: a link in the circular economy chain

Resumen

Objective: to compile, through documentary research, the potential of agro-industrial residues in different agriculture sectors, through their use as raw material towards generating other economically viable products.

Design/ Methodology/ Approach: documentary research in different primary and secondary sources of current consultation and databases of Mexico’s Government Secretariats (Agriculture– SADER, Economy, and Natural Resources– SEMARNAT), to analyze the importance of agro-industrial waste as a source of raw material in processes that generate value-added products. The analysis of the information focused on highlighting the importance of the current use and transformation of residues and waste generated in various sectors of the agri-food industry. Also, in the identification of the challenges faced by this industry to achieve a circular economy. Emphasis was placed on innovative strategies and research aimed at converting these residues into value-added products.

Results: according to the sources consulted, about 35% on average of the raw materials used in food production end up as waste. Many of these residues have bioactive, nutritional or functional properties that make them suitable for alternative applications. In recent years, agro-industrial by-products and residual fluxes have attracted the attention of the scientific community due to their potential for valorization. A synthesis of information on current food products was obtained that give a guideline to generate usable waste and with easily extracted active compounds. Certain components of residues, nowadays wasted, can be reintegrated into the production cycle as raw materials for new processes, thus reducing environmental impact and promoting a circular economy.

Limitations/ Implications of the study: only databases with official information were consulted; without discrimination for specific or extensive documentary sources by subsector or product. However, innovation was identified and emphasized in those by-products identified with the greatest potential for transformation.

Conclusions: despite the interest in sustainability and minimizing environmental damage, the environmental problem and non-sustainability of the food industry that often affects the country occurs because the industry continues to be aligned with a linear economic model of extraction, production and disposal that generates a considerable amount of waste. Limited infrastructure for waste recovery in new value chains is a barrier to the large-scale implementation of circular economics principles, which is another crucial step in achieving long-term sustainability.