Life cycle-based dashboard for circular agri-food sector

Purpose The transition to a circular agri-food sector is a necessary condition for the sustainable development of the current production and consumption model. The complexity of the agri-food chain requires the introduction of a harmonized measurement system so that the circular economy can be applied. This study aims to define a life cycle-based dashboard to systematize and test cross-sectional life cycle-based (LCB) indicators to evaluate their applicability. Methods The study is based on previous research to systematize cross-sectional LCB indicators, for the circular agri-food sector, classified according to the spatial dimensions (macro, meso, micro), areas of sustainability (economic, social, environmental), and scope within which the indicators are applied. The indicators were tested through a multiple compared analysis at the national and regional level, including a company case study (within the same region). Data were collected through two different methodologies based on the spatial dimension analysed. At the macro level, data were collected from databases and reports. At the micro level, a semi-structured interview with the owner of the company was conducted. For the analyses, data from different years were considered to compare results and to outline micro-trends. Result and discussion The work made it possible to outline two types of results. The first derives from the application of the indicators to the spatial dimensions; the second expresses the potential application of the LCB-dashboard by the cross-sectional LCB indicators. The results of the work highlight the ability of cross-sectional indicators to provide a first comprehensive overview of the circularity of the agri-food sector concerning each level of observation. The study also allowed the applicability of LCB cross-sectional indicators to be tested. This suggests the need to introduce a harmonized detection system, between the national and regional accounting systems, obtaining consistent indicators that facilitate the comparison of results over time. Conclusions The research showed the validity of the use of the cross-sectional LCB indicators, contributing to the discussion on CE indicators in the agri-food sector. The work supports the definition of new cross-sectional indicators and the new data collection model. For companies, the results encourage the development of monitoring models based on the LCB-dashboard. The paper has highlighted the limits and future steps of the mea