Understanding Circular Economy Practices in Agro-Food Supply Chains: Insights from Agro-Entrepreneurs in Sub-Saharan Africa

Pardon J. Muzondo¹, Everjoy Mukunga², Marilyn W. Kutamahufa³, Reenah Chikengezha⁴

¹ Lecturer, Department of Supply Chain Management, Marondera University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Zimbabwe. 

² Lecturer, Department of Consumer Science and Retail Management, Chinhoyi University of Technology, Zimbabwe.

³ Coordinator, Department of Outreach Programmes Unit, Marondera University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Zimbabwe.

⁴ Lecturer, Department of Food Processing and Technology, Marondera University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, Zimbabwe.  

Abstract

The growing urgency to transition toward sustainable agro-food systems has intensified attention on circular economy practices, particularly in resource-constrained contexts where inefficiencies and waste remain pervasive. This study investigates how agro-entrepreneurs in Sub-Saharan Africa understand and implement circular economy practices within agro-food supply chains. Grounded in circular economy and sustainable supply chain perspectives, the study adopts an interpretivist paradigm and employs a qualitative exploratory design. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with purposively selected agro-entrepreneurs and analysed using thematic analysis. The findings reveal that circular economy practices are widely embedded in everyday operations, although often implemented informally and without explicit conceptual framing. Agro-entrepreneurs engage in waste reuse, recycling, and value addition as adaptive strategies primarily driven by cost reduction and income generation. However, adoption remains constrained by structural limitations, including restricted financial capacity, inadequate infrastructure, and gaps in technical knowledge. The study further finds that market demand plays a stronger role than policy frameworks in shaping circular practices, indicating weak institutional alignment with grassroots realities. This study contributes to existing body of knowledge by uncovering the experiential and context-driven nature of circular economy adoption in agro-food systems, extending existing theory through micro-level insights. It provides practical implications by highlighting the need for targeted capacity-building, improved infrastructure, and economically aligned policy interventions. The study concludes that while circular practices hold significant potential for enhancing sustainability, resilience, and livelihoods, their scalability depends on addressing structural and knowledge-related barriers within agro-food supply chains.    

Keywords: Circular economy, Agro-food supply chains, Agro-entrepreneurship, Sustainability, Food waste valorisation

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