Circular economy in the agricultural and water sectors

In the opening session, the Ministry of Agriculture in Jordan, as the patron of the workshop, underscored the importance of the circular economy as a strategic approach to support sustainable development in a region facing significant challenges, including water scarcity and land degradation driven by climate change and unsustainable consumption. The Arab Organization for Agricultural Development (AOAD) emphasized the need to build capacities in the circular economy, particularly within the agricultural sector, given its role in fostering a balance between environmental, developmental, and economic needs.

The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) highlighted the close interdependence between water and agriculture, from the resources consumed to production methods, affirming its commitment to applying its extensive experience in water recycling and reuse to accelerate the transition toward a circular economy. Expertise France introduced the Green Forward project, which aims to promote environmental and circular policies across eight Arab countries in North Africa and the Middle East. The Embassy of Sweden highlighted the importance of regional cooperation and knowledge exchange to support the transition, emphasizing that this workshop exemplifies such cooperation.

ESCWA addressed the role of the circular economy in achieving equitable development and offering innovative solutions to environmental and climate challenges. They emphasized the need for a profound systemic shift, as well as the development of mechanisms and capacities essential to reaching these objectives.

Session 1 introduced circular economy concepts and principles, showcasing examples from both the region and beyond. The Royal Scientific Society (RSS) presented circular economy principles and models that extend beyond waste management, defining it as a regenerative system that provides an alternative to the linear economy by designing out waste and strengthening national security. The Ministry of Environment in Tunisia shared insights on the country’s transition to a circular economy, with a focus on circular practices in the agro-food industry that enhance quality, improve resource efficiency (such as water use), and reduce pollution. Morocco's Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development outlined the country’s achievements and ongoing efforts to build a greener economy, particularly within the agricultural sector. Key initiatives include the Morocco Green Plan, which comprises four main programs focused on water rationalization and valorization. Examples provided also included initiatives for converting organic waste into fertilizers or energy, demonstrating circular economy practices. The African Circular Economy Network Foundation (ACENF) provided valuable insights into the climate benefits of the circular economy, particularly its potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in production systems. They highlighted organic waste treatment through anaerobic digestion and Black Soldier Fly (BSF) technologies, which offer significant GHG reduction potential, create valuable outputs for the agricultural sector, and divert waste from landfills.

Session 2 focused on circularity in the water sector. ESCWA highlighted the acute water scarcity in the Arab region and discussed how circular economy principles could address this challenge. The intervention explored challenges facing the implementation of circular water approaches, including water valuation, inefficiencies in water and energy use, and the underutilization of treated wastewater, while also examining how Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) can help support the application of circular economy principles. The World Bank stressed the shift from linear to circular approaches to tackle funding challenges and ensure sustainable water and sanitation solutions. The WICER framework was introduced to optimize resource efficiency, diversify water sources, recover resources, and promote environmental regeneration, while also creating new revenue streams, attracting private investment, and enhancing resilience and inclusivity. The UM6P intervention focused on Morocco's growing water scarcity and wastewater reuse potential in agriculture and industry, detailing the national plan to increase treated wastewater volumes to 100 Mm³ per year by 2025 and reclaim 325 Mm³ per year by 2030. IWMI highlighted in their intervention the importance of water use efficiency for circularity and outlined four key components for the transition: community engagement, enabling policy and regulatory frameworks, economic feasibility, and necessary infrastructure. At the end of the day, participants were asked to reflect on the main challenges and potential solutions for adopting the circular economy in the water sector, with the following day starting with a discussion on the topic.

Before starting Session 3 on the second day, a follow-up discussion took place on the previous day's assignment, focusing on the challenges and solutions for adopting a circular economy in the water sector. During Session 3, AOAD’s presentation introduced the principles of the circular economy in agriculture, emphasizing its benefits and showcasing successful case studies from the Arab region. Key examples included Morocco’s biomass energy initiatives, organic composting in Egypt, and the use of palm waste in the UAE, demonstrating the potential of resource-efficient and regenerative agriculture in the region. AOAD also provided an overview of the circular carbon economy in agriculture, outlining its history, definition, and enablers, while stressing the importance of engaging stakeholders and building capacity for successful implementation in the Arab region. The intervention also introduced the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), highlighting its potential impact on trade within the region’s agricultural sector and the need to stay informed on its progress. IWMI presentation focused on the significant refugee crisis in East Africa, where large numbers of refugees and internally displaced people are exerting immense pressure on resources and contributing to environmental degradation, leading to food and energy insecurity. It showcased the successful implementation of circular economy solutions in refugee and host communities, fostering regenerative practices, improving food security, reducing energy burdens, and promoting local entrepreneurship. The severe challenges stemming from ongoing conflict, resource degradation, and climate change in the Syrian Arab Republic were addressed in a detailed intervention. Circular economy solutions were identified as essential for recovery, with a focus on sustainable resource management, waste recycling, renewable energy, and strengthening agricultural value chains to build local resilience, reduce dependency on imports, and create new job opportunities, while also tackling food security and ecosystem restoration. The Ministry of Environment in Egypt highlighted the challenges associated with agricultural residues, such as rice straw, and the environmental impact of burning it, which contributes to air pollution. It presented successful investments in recycling rice straw, transforming it into valuable resources like animal feed and fertilizers, which has led to job creation, supported by government incentives and equipment funding. Finally, the RSS presentation emphasized how the circular economy can address food loss and waste by rethinking the entire food system, from regenerative agricultural practices to localizing food sources through peri-urban agriculture. It also underscored the importance of effective food surplus management, waste-to-resource strategies, and circular product design in enhancing sustainability and resilience within the food supply chain.

During this session, ACENF presented a step-by-step methodology for developing national action plans to advance the circular economy. This approach emphasizes close collaboration with governments to assess current sectors, prioritize key areas, set clear goals, and develop governance and financial frameworks. These elements are validated through stakeholder engagement to ensure inclusivity and shared ownership.

The RSS intervention highlighted Jordan's initiative to develop a national circular economy roadmap aimed at fostering a nationwide transition. The process includes phases such as stakeholder identification and engagement, national baseline assessment, strategy formulation, and the development of quantitative indicators for implementation. The roadmap also addresses legal, cultural, and technical aspects and incorporates key components such as sustainable product design, responsible sourcing of materials, and systems for resource recovery and reuse.

Expertise France's intervention focused on key EU Green Deal directives and strategies, including the Farm to Fork Directive, the Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles, and CBAM, all of which are relevant to the region's green and circular transition. They shared insights from a regional assessment conducted across five Arab countries (Tunisia, Lebanon, Jordan, Morocco, and Libya), highlighting how the Green Forward Program could support each country’s unique transition needs.

The Circular Packaging Association presented a case study from the UAE on a proof-of-concept pilot for circular economy in packaging and its translation into policy. In collaboration with the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment and the Abu Dhabi Agency, they conducted an evidence-based study to assess the barriers and enablers of the circular economy for packaging, focusing on waste management, recycling, and the economic dynamics of waste materials. The study revealed the monetization potential in recovering clean, segregated plastic materials and included an environmental impact assessment that emphasized emissions reduction and resource savings. Twelve of the 22 policies adopted by the UAE Circular Economy Council stemmed from this study. This council, chaired by the Ministry of Economy and including key stakeholders from both public and private sectors, serves as a successful public-private platform for advancing the circular economy in the UAE.

At the end of the session, participants collaborated to propose recommendations for: 1) driving the transition to a circular economy in the agriculture and water sectors at the national level in their respective countries, and 2) prioritizing actions over the next two years to advance circular economy practices in these sectors. The resulting recommendations, which can be found in the Outcome section, cover several key areas, including policy frameworks, action plans and strategies, capacity building and awareness raising, technological innovations, data and standards, regional and international cooperation, as well as incentives and financing.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the organizers emphasized that all recommendations would be considered when planning future activities and stated that the workshop's outcomes would be shared with all participants.