Agricultural Waste in Circular Economy: An Indian Scenario

The increasing food, water, and energy demand and the earnestness of fulfilling the same in a sustainable way make circular economy a promising approach particularly for the developing and urbanized society. Reverse to the existing usual model of linear economy, circular economy will decelerate the depletion of natural resources and lower the environmental damages. India generates a huge quantity of agricultural waste. Immediate disposal of this agricultural waste can lead to loss of their probable economic value. However, by adopting circular economy, the agricultural waste can be reduced as it focuses on recycling and reuse of wastes to prevent the economic loss. The agricultural waste can be utilized as resources for other processes to improve their value. This chapter attempts to discuss the role of circular economy on agriculture, valorization of agricultural waste, and the effective management strategies to reduce agricultural waste. It also highlights the various challenges to agricultural waste management and adaptation potentiality of circular economy in India.