Combining agroecology and bioeconomy to meet the societal challenges of agriculture

Background and aims One of the major challenges of modern agriculture is to transform agricultural systems to support food security under global change. The reduction of the agricultural carbon footprint requires the development of agroecological practices and eco-friendly processes for biomass and by-products transformation. The push towards decarbonization of several industrial sector brings about new demand for bio-based products and can constitute an opportunity for crop diversification and by-products valorisation for crop fertilization and protection. This evolution leads to the study of novel agricultural systems centered around the concept of circular bioeconomy and the development of transdisciplinary approaches combining agroecology and bioeconomy to create more resilient. But what are these approaches and which steps must be taken to transform agricultural systems toward the ultimate goal of sustainability? Methods This opinion paper synthesizes such recent advances and contemporary understanding of agroecology and bioeconomy synergies by focusing on 1) the agroecological solutions for the bioeconomy: the ecological role of crop diversification, 2) the main eco-technologies of waste recycling and biomass transformation for agroecological development, 3) a holistic approach of combinations of agroecology and bioeconomy for sustainable agricultural systems. Results This combination is based on the association of functional low- and high-tech innovations that require life cycle analysis and a multi-assessment in cropping and farming systems to decrease their energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Conclusion The combination of agroecology and circular bioeconomy constitutes an important lever to mobilize in order to improve ecosystem services at the soil–plant-atmosphere interface and farming sustainability at the territorial scale.