To seek that circular agri-food systems will not remain a utopia, analyzing the status quo is crucial. DRASTIC uses a case study approach based on the analysis of a specific agri-food chain: the one of olive oil. Besides being widespread in southern Italy, where the research is undertaken (Campania, Apulia, Calabria and Sicily), this industry causes important environmental impacts while offering opportunities for by-products valorization. DRASTIC adopts a transition approach considering the extant olive oil supply chain the arena on which building CE pathways, by addressing the most critical challenges (e.g., technological, market, coordination, regulatory). Starting from the study of current linear system of olive oil production, DRASTIC analyses drivers and constraints for the transition into a circular counterpart. This is done addressing all three main phases of the olive oil supply chain, namely olive cultivation and harvesting (agro-ecological subsystem), olive oil production (agro-industrial subsystem) and consumption (consumption subsystem).
DRASTIC has two main objectives:
- Study how to foster and manage the transition of the olive oil supply chain into a CE model.
- Evaluate the impacts of different transition pathways to CE.
Since current industries are locked-in linear structures, every loop of potential circular agri-food chains entails major barriers. DRASTIC addresses some of these barriers, while suggesting and comparing possible solutions for the transition. More specifically, the expected outputs of DRASTIC are:
- Insights on circular business models, coordination strategies in circular networks, and on stakeholders’ perceptions of CE models;
- Guidelines on suitable technological, market, organizational and regulative solutions;
- Data on environmental, social and economic impacts, that are crucial to orient future CE pathway.
