The Opportunity of Valorizing Agricultural Waste, Through Its Conversion into Biostimulants, Biofertilizers, and Biopolymers

Abstract

The problems arising from the limited availability of natural resources and the impact of certain anthropogenic activities on the environment must be addressed as soon as possible. To meet this challenge, it is necessary, among other things, to reconsider and redesign agricultural systems to find more sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions, paying specific attention to waste from agriculture. Indeed, the transition to a more sustainable and circular economy should also involve the effective valorization of agricultural waste, which should be seen as an excellent opportunity to obtain valuable materials. For the reasons mentioned above, this review reports and discusses updated studies dealing with the valorization of agricultural waste, through its conversion into materials to be applied to crops and soil. In particular, this review highlights the opportunity to obtain plant biostimulants, biofertilizers, and biopolymers from agricultural waste. This approach can decrease the impact of waste on the environment, allow the replacement and reduction in the use of synthetic compounds in agriculture, and facilitate the transition to a sustainable circular economy.