INTEGRAL MANAGEMENT MODELS FOR IMPROVING THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY SYSTEM IN AGRICULTURE

Abstract

This article proposes an integral management model for advancing the circular economy in
agriculture, based on a layered indicator architecture, a composite circularity index, and a decision-support
monitoring mechanism. A review of current agricultural waste and resource management practices identifies
four recurring challenges: fragmented accounting of material flows, weak integration of environmental and
economic objectives, limited applicability of national circularity indicators at the farm level, and the absence
of a clear link between measurement and managerial decision-making. Building on these findings, the study
formulates four key requirements for an improved management system and proposes a three-layer architecture
comprising approximately twenty indicators organised into five thematic blocks: biomass and crop residues,
water and irrigation, livestock and organic waste, inputs and packaging, and energy and emissions. A composite
circularity index is constructed using linear min–max normalisation and a differentially weighted geometric
mean. Its performance is illustrated through retrospective estimates for the period 2018–2025