Economic Aspects of the Circular Food Economy: The Case of Olive Oil

The agri-food sector is among the most environmentally impactful industries globally, making its shift toward sustainability a pressing priority. In response, governments—including the EU—are promoting circular economy (CE) principles across all sectors, with CE implementation serving as a key measure of policy effectiveness. The olive oil sector, while economically and culturally vital, poses significant environmental risks due to intensive resource use and problematic waste disposal. Considering resource scarcity and climate change, CE adoption—grounded in industrial ecology—is increasingly relevant. This study investigates the implementation of CE practices in Greek olive oil mills (OOMs) by evaluating the degree of circularity through tailored indicators and conducting a techno-economic analysis (TEA) of selected practices. Together, these methods offer a robust, quantitative assessment of the environmental and financial sustainability of CE initiatives within the olive oil industry.