Interpretive Summary: Circular bioeconomy: policy and regulatory impacts on livestock production systems

By: Maja Arsic, Eleazar Gonzalez, Jesus Mendez, Duncan Rowland, Philippe Becquet

Implications

• Currently, bioeconomy and circular economy policies are being developed independently in most countries, leading to contradictions and a lack of coherence. It is advisable to combine both into circular bioeconomy policies, allowing for the most efficient and sustainable use of biological resources.
• Implementation of the One Health, EcoHealth, and Planetary Health within these circular bioeconomy policies should be considered to support the sustainable and safe use of resources in livestock production systems and in broader supply chains.
• Regulations and standards aimed at controlling and monitoring the safety of food and waste should encompass the use of byproducts from the livestock production systems, ensuring the safety of animal-sourced products. Implementation of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points encompassing the co-products is advisable.

Introduction

The evolution of the current linear production system into a circular approach, with the use of increased quantities of biomass, requires the development of appropriate policies to encourage and potentially incentivize the circular use of biomass. This development will lead to both the potential use of new materials and allow for the safe use of currently wasted resources from sectors such as livestock production systems, including processing wastes (e.g., whey, wool, wool grease, wastewaters) or manures to produce products, such as feed and fertilizers. It will require a thorough risk assessment to ensure safe use for animals, the environment, and the consumers of edible products. This paper considers the broad governance, policy, and regulation landscape of current national approaches to bioeconomy and circular economy, and the implications for circular bioeconomy approaches for livestock systems. Recommendations are provided to shift towards coherent policies and regulatory systems that address both bioeconomy and circular economy aspects and integrate other principles critical for developing safe and viable circular bioproducts (e.g., Planetary Boundaries and the One Health approach).

Read the full article in Animal Frontiers: Advancing the Circularity of Livestock Production.