Shaping Circularity in the Food Industry: Strategic Pillars Enabled by Biorefinery Systems

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Sustainability Studies
• Industrial Ecology

Background:

• Food systems face pressure to decarbonize and minimize waste while relying on natural resources.
• Circular economy (CE) principles offer a framework to address these challenges by closing material loops.
• Biorefineries and bio-based processes are key to transforming food waste into high-value resources.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose strategic pillars for implementing circular practices in the food industry.
• To guide the transformation of food waste and by-products into value-added resources.
• To align circular food systems with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Main Methods:

• A PRISMA-guided content analysis of literature from Scopus (2019-2024).
• Identification and systematization of 30 recurrent circular economy elements.
• Development of five strategic pillars for circular food systems.

Main Results:

• Five strategic pillars identified: residue valorization, supply chain digitalization, stakeholder engagement, strategic partnerships, and regenerative practices.
• Practical pathways include producing functional ingredients, sustainable packaging, renewable energy, and enhancing traceability.
• The framework integrates fragmented evidence to overcome economic and operational barriers.

Conclusions:

• The proposed framework provides practical guidance for food industry actors to adopt circular practices.
• Integration of circularity supports collaboration with local partners and research institutions.
• The study contributes to achieving key SDGs, including 2, 7, 9, 12, 13, and 17.