Agriculture and livestock farming are activities that depend on energy consumption. Photovoltaic self-consumption systems can reduce the production costs of these actors, especially in periods of high-energy price volatility. This work aimed to determine the degree of implementation of photovoltaic self-consumption systems, their relationship with the economic impact of the energy crisis, and the perception of producers to use renewable energy sources in the Spanish agricultural system as it is one of the most important at European level.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSustainable and circular production models, such as the circular economy and circular bioeconomy, have become key mechanisms to leave behind the traditional linear model of food production. Under this approach and considering the waste biomass potential available in Spain and the Czech Republic, the main objective of this study is to analyse the most relevant aspects of the generation, use and regulation of agricultural waste biomass (AWB) in both countries. For this purpose, a scientometric analysis and systematic review of published research in the Scopus database were carried out.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study aims to conduct an exploratory and comparative analysis between Fruit and Vegetable Producer Organizations (FVPOs) and fruit and vegetable producers that are not part of these organizations (Non-FVPOs) regarding the prioritization, perception, and adoption of sustainable and circular practices. For this purpose, data was collected from both groups through an online survey. Statistical techniques for the comparison of two independent groups (chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, and Mann-Whitney U test) were used to examine the differences on a sample of 14 FVPOs and 22 Non-FVPOs from Spain.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn recent decades, ecosystems have suffered diverse environmental impacts caused by anthropogenic activities, including the dumping of plastic waste. This situation has prompted the European Union to introduce a new policy based on the circular economy. In this study, the present state and future perspectives on the generation and treatment of plastic waste in the intensive agriculture of Almeria (Spain) are analyzed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAs of now, circular economic production models of the circular economy (CEPMs), which include circular economy, bioeconomy, and circular bioeconomy, are among the main tools characterizing development policies in different countries. During the last five years, policies and strategies regarding CEPMs have promoted and contributed to the development of research on this topic. The evolution and most relevant aspects of the three CEPMs previously mentioned have been analyzed from a sample of 2190 scientific publications obtained from the Scopus database.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe high-yield agricultural model in Almería is based on eight different crops. Having led fruit and vegetable exports in Spain for more than 50 years, a decrease in melon and watermelon growing areas in Almería caused a change in supply that affected the model's profit. Papaya cultivation could reactivate the profit of the agricultural model in Almería and also improve the available product range.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn Europe, papaya consumption is growing due to its nutritional properties. The proximity of consumer markets to Southeast Spain allows fruits to be harvested at a more advanced stage of maturity compared to exporting countries from outside Europe, a timeline which improves the quality of the papaya. Experiments have been carried out to assess the adaptation of papaya to protected cropping systems (under greenhouse) in the region.
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