Innovations in Sustainable Agriculture and the Circular Bioeconomy

The increasing demand for sustainable materials and environmentally friendly technologies has stimulated growing interest in innovative approaches to sustainable agriculture and the circular bioeconomy. Emerging materials and technologies, including bio-based fertilisers, pesticides, and biochar, have been developed to promote sustainable agriculture and advance the circular economy. Materials such as biochar and biochar-based composites possess distinctive physicochemical characteristics, including high surface area, enhanced surface reactivity, tunable porosity and abundant functional groups, making them promising for applications in environmental remediation, soil management, agriculture, water purification, carbon management and sustainable technologies. Recent research has demonstrated the potential of such materials for the removal and immobilisation of heavy metals, organic contaminants, pesticides, pharmaceuticals and other emerging pollutants. At the same time, their application in agricultural systems may improve nutrient use efficiency, soil properties, plant growth, and stress tolerance. However, important questions remain regarding the environmental fate, transport, long-term stability, ecotoxicity, production costs, scalability and safe application of these innovations.Although these innovations, including biochar-based composites, bio-based fertilisers and pesticides, precision agriculture technologies, biodegradable materials and nanotechnology-enabled agricultural inputs, have emerged as promising multifunctional tools for sustainable agriculture, promoting circular bioeconomy applications, significant knowledge gaps remain regarding their structure–function relationships, remediation mechanisms, environmental fate, long-term stability and ecological safety. Existing studies are frequently laboratory-based and focus on specific agronomic conditions, while relatively limited attention has been given to complex environmental systems, field-scale validation, soil–plant–microbe interactions, different agricultural ecosystems and long-term impacts. Furthermore, inconsistencies in synthesis methods, characterisation approaches and application rates make comparison among studies difficult. The economic feasibility, life-cycle sustainability and scalability of production also require greater attention.This Research Topic therefore aims to consolidate emerging research on sustainable agriculture and circular bioeconomy innovations by encouraging interdisciplinary studies that advance fundamental understanding and practical application. Particular emphasis will be placed on innovative synthesis and functionalization strategies of bio-based fertilisers, pesticides and soil amendments; structure–property–performance relationships; mechanisms of contaminant removal and transformation; applications in sustainable agriculture; interactions with soil, plants and microorganisms; environmental fate and ecotoxicity; field-scale validation; and life-cycle and techno-economic assessment.This Research Topic aims to bring together original research, reviews, short communications and innovative studies addressing recent advances in the production, characterisation, mechanisms, applications, environmental safety and prospects of innovations in sustainable agriculture and the circular bioeconomy. The collection will particularly welcome studies that move beyond proof-of-concept laboratory experiments and provide mechanistic, long-term, field-based or systems-level evidence demonstrating the effectiveness, safety and sustainability of these innovations.Contributions are welcomed from environmental science, soil science, agriculture, nanotechnology, materials science, biotechnology, chemistry and related disciplines.Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:• Technical and Scientific Innovations in Sustainable Agriculture• Biochar-Based Composites and other organic soil amendments: Production, Synthesis and Characterisation•Bio-based fertilisers and pesticides• Soil–Plant–Microbe Interactions and Nutrient Use Efficiency• Carbon Sequestration and Impacts on the Climate • Circular Bioeconomy and Waste Transformation• Standardisation, Scale-up and Commercialisation Topic editors: Peeyush Sharma, Abrol Vikas, Çağrı Akyol Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/84878/innovations-in-sustainable-agriculture-and-the-circular-bioeconomy