Biodegradable Raffia as a Sustainable and Cost-Effective Alternative to Improve the Management of Agricultural Waste Biomass

Abstract

The transition from intensive conventional agriculture to sustainable agriculture has become a global priority. This is due to the need for environmentally friendly agriculture to ensure sufficient food for a rapidly growing population. The bioeconomy is essential to progress in the field of sustainable agriculture. It contributes to the conservation of biological resources through circular and comprehensive management. The bioeconomy prioritizes the reduction and reuse of materials and products. The focus of this study is the use of biodegradable/compostable raffia in protected horticultural crops in the Province of Almería (Spain). The analysis and evaluations, based on an extensive literature review and information given by stakeholders, determined that biodegradable raffia use significantly improves the management of residual biomass in Almería. However, biodegradable raffia is only used in a small percentage of crops even though it is a sustainable alternative and profitable for farmers. The economic analysis incorporates the higher cost of recycling non-biodegradable raffia.

The Management of Agriculture Plastic Waste in the Framework of Circular Economy. Case of the Almeria Greenhouse (Spain)

“…It is present in the covering and natural ventilation systems of greenhouses, irrigation equipment and active climate control, agricultural inputs and disinfection processes. It is also used in auxiliary structures such as irrigation ponds and the marketing of the goods [18,22,[59][60][61][63][64][65][66][67][70][71][72]. The determination of the generation period of this tyspe of waste is established by the crop cycles with a productive seasonality due to their intrinsic characteristics [73,74] Specifically, it was estimated that around 90% of agricultural plastic waste is generated in the province of Almeria between August and September [18].…”

“…Unfortunately, their technological limitation only allows their use in a few productive activities, mainly to replace traditional composts in mulching and mulching raffias. Its characteristics enable it to withstand production cycles of up to nine months, which makes it an ideal replacement for mulching used throughout the crop cycle [59,65,66,69]. Other types of biodegradable mulching, such as straw or rice husks, could also be used [68,69].…”

“…This has been coupled with an effort made by the EU to promote the establishment of "circular horticulture" in agriculture under plastic, which has expanded significantly in its territory [51]. Indeed, the intensive greenhouse horticultural sector has been described as a suitable place for its implementation [57][58][59][60][61]. However, due to the recent introduction of various strategies and action plans, the establishment of circular horticulture is considered one of the biggest challenges of the agricultural systems, including those located in the province of Almeria [62].…”

Analysis of the Circular Economic Production Models and Their Approach in Agriculture and Agricultural Waste Biomass Management

“…The circular economy (CE) and the bioeconomy (BE) have become alternative economic production models (EPMs) that are essential to promote sustainable growth and development [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]. The main goal of both models is to achieve a synergy between the economy, the environment, and society [ 4 , 5 , 6 ].…”

Circular Bio-economy—Paradigm for the Future: Systematic Review of Scientific Journal Publications from 2015 to 2021

“…Technological innovations are fine, but without the presence of strong symbiotic relationships among players in a circular bio-economy, they would not be able to deliver the goods. The reference here is to bottom-up initiatives which resulted in the success of the agro-industrial complex in the Almeira region of Spain which is making good use of the opportunity to become an integral part of a sustainable circular bioeconomy, by recognising the resource potential of the horticultural residues generated [33,49,170,379]. On the other hand, in a historical analysis of the complex nexus among landscape, livestock, farming population and land uses in the agrarian metabolism in Barcelona, researchers have concluded that there has been a conspicuous decrease in circularity over time [146], which needs to be restored.…”