ASSESSING EU AGRICULTURAL PERFORMANCE TOWARD A CIRCULAR ECONOMY: EVIDENCE FROM CLUSTER ANALYSIS

Tamara Rađenović; Žarko Rađenović; Miško Rađenović; Bojan Krstić

doi:10.59267/ekoPolj2603719R

Authors

Tamara Rađenović University of Niš, Faculty of Occupational Safety, Čarnojevića 10a, 18000 Niš, Serbia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1632-7772
Žarko Rađenović University of Niš, Innovation Centre, University Square 2, 18000 Niš, Serbia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3679-7870
Miško Rađenović University of Donja Gorica, Faculty of Culture and Tourism, Podgorica, Montenegro https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7964-5869
Bojan Krstić University of Niš, Faculty of Economics, King Aleksander Square 11, 18000 Niš, Serbia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4597-6819

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.59267/ekoPolj2603719R

Keywords:

agriculture, performance, circular economy, cluster analysis, resilience

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the structuralperformance of European agriculture in the contextof the circular economy transition. The methodologyapplies a two-step cluster analysis to three indicators:AgroBioDiversity Index, Livestock Density Index,and Farms by Economic Size, using Eurostat data. Theresults identify five agricultural models, ranging fromextensive small-scale systems with high biodiversity andweak economic strength, to industrialized structures withlarge farms and strong economic capacity, but greatersustainability risks. Findings show one-size-fits-all policyis ineffective. The recommendations emphasize the needfor differentiated policies that enhance the resilience ofextensive systems, mitigate environmental pressures inindustrial systems, and maintain balance in mixed models.The study provides additional empirical evidence fortailoring circular economy strategies to diverse agriculturalstructures across the European Union, supporting contextspecific approaches to sustainable agriculture.

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