Agric. Econ. - Czech, 2025, 71(1):1-13 | DOI: 10.17221/225/2024-AGRICECON

The role of primary producers in agricultural waste management: Perceptions and challenges in the transition to a circular economyOriginal Paper

Francisco José Castillo-Díaz ORCID...¹, Luis Jesus Belmonte-Ureña ORCID...¹, Fernando Diánez-Martínez ORCID...², Francisco Camacho-Ferre ORCID...²

¹ Department of Economy and Business, Sustainable Protected Agriculture Research Network, University of Almería, Almería, Spain

² Department of Agronomy, Sustainable Protected Agriculture Research Network, University of Almería, Almería, Spain

This study aims to evaluate the perceptions of Spanish primary producers on waste management practices and different regulatory and administrative proposals. In addition, it identifies the socioeconomic and technical factors influencing these perceptions and highlights the types of agricultural residues that present the greatest management challenges for primary producers. To achieve these objectives, a survey was conducted among 396 primary producers throughout Spain. Results revealed two distinct groups of producers: younger, more educated individuals who showed higher awareness of waste management and older, less educated producers who perceived waste management as less critical. The study also analysed the magnitude of the relationships between these influencing factors and waste management perceptions. Agricultural plastics, biomass, and used oil emerged as the most problematic waste types. The findings suggest the need for a national strategy to improve agricultural waste management in Spain, including awareness campaigns, financial incentives, and stricter regulations to ensure sustainable practices.

Keywords: agricultural economics; regulatory proposals; socioeconomic factors; stakeholder engagement; sustainable development

Received: June 26, 2024; Revised: November 5, 2024; Accepted: November 21, 2024; Prepublished online: January 24, 2025; Published: January 30, 2025  Show citation