Organic Improvement in Agricultural Waste and Byproducts

Dear Colleagues,

The increasing demands of a rapidly expanding global population require substantial agricultural outputs, which in turn generate significant amounts of agricultural waste and byproducts (AWB). Agricultural and livestock systems have a profound environmental impact, particularly in terms of water consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and more. The management of AWB is a worldwide challenge with serious environmental consequences. A large portion of AWB is frequently burned or buried, leading to soil, air, and water contamination, with negative effects on biodiversity, food chains, and climate. Agriculture heavily influences global nitrogen (N) and carbon (C) cycles through land use changes and agronomic practises. Currently, there is increasing interest in exploring the potential recovery and reuse of agricultural byproducts to reduce carbon and nitrogen losses, while enhancing efficiency and productivity. It is therefore essential to urgently support sustainable agriculture and the food supply chain by developing strategies that exploit AWB, add value to them, and ensure food security while preserving human health. AWB are generated from various sources, including livestock and crop activities, aquaculture, fisheries, and agro-industries. Historically, livestock and crop waste have been used in subsistence economies for fuel, animal feed, composting, and soil mulching. Today, the scarcity of fossil fuels, along with their detrimental effects on climate change, calls for increased investment in circular bioeconomy research on the production of goods based on renewable resources. This research can generate the knowledge and data necessary to develop sustainable alternatives to fossil resources that can meet market demand. Circular bioeconomy research can enhance the use of lignocellulosic and keratinic residues (such as wool, feathers, leather, etc.) to produce value-added products, including biofuels, bioenergy, organic acids, industrial enzymes, and biofertilizers. The circular bioeconomy framework focuses on "reduction", "reuse", and "recycling" to develop effective management solutions for AWB. This Special Issue invites research, case studies, analyses, and field trials on the chemical, physical, and biological properties of AWB. We welcome manuscripts that explore the long-term potential of AWB, Contributions addressing the application of AI to optimize waste management are also encouraged. Studies on a local, regional, or global scale are highly valued.

Dr. Aldo Dal Prà
Dr. Pierpaolo Duce
Dr. Francesca Camilli
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agronomy is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• bioeconomy
• agricultural byproducts
• wool
• agroforestry