The current agricultural model was designed to meet the food needs of a growing population after the Second World War, but is now coming up against its own limits, and above all those of the planet. Indeed, the figures are critical, encouraging us to think about an alternative model. According to Polytechnique Insights, the agricultural sector is responsible for 23% of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions (linked to human activity); according to the FAO, 35% of the world's soils are degraded, mainly as a result of intensive farming practices; and according to theUN, 30% of the world's population is food insecure.
What are the levers for transforming this breathless model?
The circular economy, or resource economy, is one of the levers of action we have studied throughout this report.
The circular economy can be defined as a virtuous economic model inspired by nature, which aims to preserve natural resources and eliminate the notion of waste. By placing sobriety at the heart of its operations, the circular economy enables the emergence of responsible business models, the creation of new sustainable jobs and the development of organizational resilience.
As part of our ongoing commitment to supporting the transition of private and public players towards a circular economy, we wanted to analyze how this can contribute in many ways to more resilient forms of agriculture that respect the living world. The aim of this report is to show how, by enabling better production, consumption and management of new life, the circular economy helps to move away from a predatory, linear logic (extract - consume - throw away) towards a more regenerative logic.
