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Although the circular economy (CE) concept is gaining traction and methods to assess companies’ CE-related aspects exist, there is no established CE assessment tool. In many cases, it is not clear how metrics or indicators included in extant CE assessment methods have been selected. To fill this gap, this paper presents a new instrument named Circularity and Maturity Firm-Level Assessment tool (CM-FLAT). The CM-FLAT has been developed starting from a transparent scientific basis, i.e., a recent systematic literature review and comprehensive collection of CE metrics. In addition, it targets the separate assessment of CE maturity, i.e., the presence of documented activities and practices laying the foundations for CE introduction, and circularity, i.e., attained CE-related performances. The development of the CM-FLAT has foreseen its formal evaluation by experts in the field of CE and sustainability, and its testing by a pilot group of companies from South Tyrol, Italy. The multiple verification activities have confirmed its usefulness and usability. Therefore, companies can now benefit from a tool capable of providing a comprehensive framework of factors and organizational areas affecting the introduction of the CE. This will be fostered by a computer-supported tool implementing the CM-FLAT, which represents the authors’ future work.
Pasqualina Sacco; Christian Vinante; Yuri Borgianni; Guido Orzes. Circular Economy at the Firm Level: A New Tool for Assessing Maturity and Circularity. Sustainability 2021, 13, 5288 .
AMA StylePasqualina Sacco, Christian Vinante, Yuri Borgianni, Guido Orzes. Circular Economy at the Firm Level: A New Tool for Assessing Maturity and Circularity. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (9):5288.
Chicago/Turabian StylePasqualina Sacco; Christian Vinante; Yuri Borgianni; Guido Orzes. 2021. "Circular Economy at the Firm Level: A New Tool for Assessing Maturity and Circularity." Sustainability 13, no. 9: 5288.
With reference to assessing Circular Economy (CE) at the firm level, available literature reviews do not clarify what and how has to be actually assessed, while many assessment methods do not take into account the latest developments in the field. Furthermore, CE indicators are not explicitly linked to the firm’s organizational functions involved in CE assessment. In order to address these issues and to favor practice-oriented CE assessments at the firm level, the present paper collects and analyses CE assessment indicators at their finest level of granularity, i.e. the CE metrics. By means of a systematic literature review, the work gathers insights from 130 documents belonging to scientific and practitioners’ literature, reviews existing CE metrics, and organizes them according to a new circular Value Chain framework. More in details, 365 different firm-level metrics have been identified and classified through said circular Value Chain framework, articulated into 23 categories. The vast majority of CE metrics are sufficiently general and applicable in assessment procedures irrespective of the firm size, the geographic location, the industrial domain and the selling strategy of the company. This aspect facilitates the fine-tuning of comprehensive CE assessment methods, which, as a result, can largely neglect contingency factors of the investigated firms. The framework and its categories help match CE metrics and organizational functions, thus facilitating the individuation of firms’ players involved in CE assessment. As the review highlights a remarkable fragmentation of current CE assessment models and diverging interpretations of CE’s scopes, further implications on research and practice are discussed.
Christian Vinante; Pasqualina Sacco; Guido Orzes; Yuri Borgianni. Circular economy metrics: Literature review and company-level classification framework. Journal of Cleaner Production 2020, 288, 125090 .
AMA StyleChristian Vinante, Pasqualina Sacco, Guido Orzes, Yuri Borgianni. Circular economy metrics: Literature review and company-level classification framework. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2020; 288 ():125090.
Chicago/Turabian StyleChristian Vinante; Pasqualina Sacco; Guido Orzes; Yuri Borgianni. 2020. "Circular economy metrics: Literature review and company-level classification framework." Journal of Cleaner Production 288, no. : 125090.
Smart Agriculture (SA) is an evolution of Precision Farming (PF). It has technological basis very close to the paradigms of Industry 4.0 (Ind-4.0), so that it is also often referred to as Agriculture 4.0. After the proposal of a brief historical examination that provides a conceptual frame to the above terms, the common aspects of SA and Ind-4.0 are analyzed. These are primarily to be found in the cognitive approaches of Knowledge Management 4.0 (KM4.0, the actual theoretical basis of Ind-4.0), which underlines the need to use Integrated Information Systems (IIS) to manage all the activity areas of any production system. Based upon an infological approach, “raw data” becomes “information” only when useful to (or actually used in) a decision-making process. Thus, an IIS must be always designed according to such a view, and KM4.0 conditions the way of collecting and processing data on farms, together with the “information precision” by which the production system is managed. Such precision needs, on their turn, depend on the hierarchical level and the “Macrodomain of Prevailing Interest” (MPI) related to each decision, where the latter identifies a predominant viewpoint through which a system can be analyzed according to a prevailing purpose. Four main MPIs are here proposed: (1) physical and chemical, (2) biological and ecological, (3) productive and hierarchical, and (4) economic and social. In each MPI, the quality of the knowledge depends on the cognitive level and the maturity of the methodological approaches there achieved. The reliability of information tends to decrease from the first to the fourth MPI; lower the reliability, larger the tolerance margins that a measurement systems must ensure. Some practical examples are then discussed, taking into account some IIS-monitoring solutions of increasing complexity in relation to information integration needs and related data fusion approaches. The analysis concludes with the proposal of new operational indications for the verification and certification of the reliability of the information on the entire decision-making chain.
Fabrizio Mazzetto; Raimondo Gallo; Pasqualina Sacco. Reflections and Methodological Proposals to Treat the Concept of “Information Precision” in Smart Agriculture Practices. Sensors 2020, 20, 2847 .
AMA StyleFabrizio Mazzetto, Raimondo Gallo, Pasqualina Sacco. Reflections and Methodological Proposals to Treat the Concept of “Information Precision” in Smart Agriculture Practices. Sensors. 2020; 20 (10):2847.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFabrizio Mazzetto; Raimondo Gallo; Pasqualina Sacco. 2020. "Reflections and Methodological Proposals to Treat the Concept of “Information Precision” in Smart Agriculture Practices." Sensors 20, no. 10: 2847.
A remarkable area of the cultivable land in South Tyrol has an inclination above 30%, which precludes the use of conventional machines for its cultivation. The project “Brotweg” is facing this problem by developing technologies for grain cultivation in a steep mountain environment up to an inclination of 70%. Furthermore, a technical solution for the whole grain processing after harvesting up to the production of bread is evolved. With the help of an entire facility the grain processing can be performed directly at the farm, which allows the farmer to act more independent while increasing his profitability. The aim of this project is to offer farmers an alternative or a supplement to livestock and dairy farming. It will improve and facilitate the working condition for farmers. To reach these goals many issues must be solved: (a) Mechanical solutions for grain seeding and harvesting in steep slopes must be developed. One of the main challenges thereby is to prevent erosion. (b) A solution for grain processing and conservation on the farm must be found. The existing structures of a farm are limiting the size of the facility. (c) The grain is processed to bread directly on the farm and distributed in a further step. The whole processing path must satisfy all safety restrictions, environmental terms and consider all possible geological problems of a steep mountain slope. We present the implementation of a grain processing facility in an existing farm structure and the development of the seeding and harvesting machines for steep slopes.
Sabrina Mayr; Riccardo Brozzi; Alice Cervellieri; Thomas Desaler; Raimondo Gallo; Josef Gamper; Bernhard Geier; Laurin Holzner; Pasqualina Sacco; Fabrizio Mazzetto. Brotweg—A Path of Bread in an Alpine Environment: New Mechanical Solutions for Grain Processing in Steep Mountain Slopes. Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering 2020, 449 -456.
AMA StyleSabrina Mayr, Riccardo Brozzi, Alice Cervellieri, Thomas Desaler, Raimondo Gallo, Josef Gamper, Bernhard Geier, Laurin Holzner, Pasqualina Sacco, Fabrizio Mazzetto. Brotweg—A Path of Bread in an Alpine Environment: New Mechanical Solutions for Grain Processing in Steep Mountain Slopes. Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering. 2020; ():449-456.
Chicago/Turabian StyleSabrina Mayr; Riccardo Brozzi; Alice Cervellieri; Thomas Desaler; Raimondo Gallo; Josef Gamper; Bernhard Geier; Laurin Holzner; Pasqualina Sacco; Fabrizio Mazzetto. 2020. "Brotweg—A Path of Bread in an Alpine Environment: New Mechanical Solutions for Grain Processing in Steep Mountain Slopes." Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering , no. : 449-456.
Each application of Precision Agriculture or Forestry should be supported by a technological platform able to perform, in an integrated way, the following data-information cycle functions: 1) data collection; 2) data processing; 3) data analysis and evaluation; 4) use of information. In accordance to this view, information are data that are usefully used in a decision making process or within a reporting protocol destined to users external to the enterprise (certification tasks). In order to manage the platform in a complete and efficient manner an adequate information system is needed. Firstly, the paper shows a classification of the possible monitoring solutions based on the different enterprise typologies, highlighting the main technological and interpretative requirements. Secondly, some case studies related to the application of operational monitoring in orchards and forestry are introduced, mainly focusing on some peculiar aspects of the algorithms developed for the implementation of the inference engines.
Pasqualina Sacco; Raimondo Gallo; Fabrizio Mazzetto. Data analysis and inference model for automating operational monitoring activities in Precision Farming and Precision Forestry applications. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science 2019, 275, 012013 .
AMA StylePasqualina Sacco, Raimondo Gallo, Fabrizio Mazzetto. Data analysis and inference model for automating operational monitoring activities in Precision Farming and Precision Forestry applications. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science. 2019; 275 (1):012013.
Chicago/Turabian StylePasqualina Sacco; Raimondo Gallo; Fabrizio Mazzetto. 2019. "Data analysis and inference model for automating operational monitoring activities in Precision Farming and Precision Forestry applications." IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science 275, no. 1: 012013.
Summary An innovative approach for the automation of operational monitoring activities in agricultural and forestry tasks is described and discussed in this article. This approach can be considered as a solution for Precision Agriculture and Precision Forestry applications and can be used as an information and communication technology (ICT) tool for the management aims by a variety of agricultural and forestry companies. The aim of the proposed concept is to develop a system, composed of both hardware and software units, with the ability to collect and manage operative raw data and then to translate them into operational information that will be used in decision-making processes. All the procedures will be carried out automatically, in order to ensure an objective compilation of the field activity register. Thus, the entrepreneur will have all the operative information automatically updated in a dedicated database system. All the obtained documents can then be used for certification and traceability processes, if required by the procedural guideline, as well as to satisfy any other management tasks, including the estimation of the actual operative costs of the farm.
Raimondo Gallo; Giovanni Carabin; Renato Vidoni; Pasqualina Sacco; Fabrizio Mazzetto. Solutions for the automation of operational monitoring activities for agricultural and forestry tasks. Die Bodenkultur: Journal of Land Management, Food and Environment 2018, 69, 131 -140.
AMA StyleRaimondo Gallo, Giovanni Carabin, Renato Vidoni, Pasqualina Sacco, Fabrizio Mazzetto. Solutions for the automation of operational monitoring activities for agricultural and forestry tasks. Die Bodenkultur: Journal of Land Management, Food and Environment. 2018; 69 (3):131-140.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRaimondo Gallo; Giovanni Carabin; Renato Vidoni; Pasqualina Sacco; Fabrizio Mazzetto. 2018. "Solutions for the automation of operational monitoring activities for agricultural and forestry tasks." Die Bodenkultur: Journal of Land Management, Food and Environment 69, no. 3: 131-140.
Soils polluted by heavy metals can be reclaimed using a number of expensive tactics that either remove the contaminants or stabilize them within the soil. The value of metal accumulating plants for environmental remediation has recently been appreciated and promising results have been obtained. This paper reports a study on the behavior of Brassica napus, Brassica juncea, Raphanus sativus and Brassica carinata grown on a substrate contaminated by several heavy metals caused by the use of contaminated irrigation water. Data on carbon dioxide assimilation, biomass growth and the bioconcentration and translocation factor of each metal in each species were measured. The polluted substrate caused only a small variation in photosynthesis, however transpiration was more affected by the experimental substrate and in all three species of the genus Brassica the presence of metals in the substrate resulted in higher transpiration levels. Two bioconcentration factors were calculated respectively for the roots (BCF) and the shoots (BCF′); the BCF was >1 for all the species for Cd, Cu, Ni and Zn without significant differences among species. All the values of BCF′ were lower than 0.5; among the metals, all Brassica species demonstrated a similar performance for Cd and Zn, whereas for other elements the bioconcentration factor was very low.
Luca Marchiol; Pasqualina Sacco; Silvia Assolari; Giuseppe Zerbi. Reclamation of Polluted Soil: Phytoremediation Potential of Crop-Related BRASSICA Species. Water, Air, & Soil Pollution 2004, 158, 345 -356.
AMA StyleLuca Marchiol, Pasqualina Sacco, Silvia Assolari, Giuseppe Zerbi. Reclamation of Polluted Soil: Phytoremediation Potential of Crop-Related BRASSICA Species. Water, Air, & Soil Pollution. 2004; 158 (1):345-356.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLuca Marchiol; Pasqualina Sacco; Silvia Assolari; Giuseppe Zerbi. 2004. "Reclamation of Polluted Soil: Phytoremediation Potential of Crop-Related BRASSICA Species." Water, Air, & Soil Pollution 158, no. 1: 345-356.
Phytoextraction is an emerging technology for non-destructive remediation of heavy metal-polluted soils. This study was conducted to test chelate-assisted phytoextraction of Cu, Pb and Zn using EDTA and canola (Brassica napus L. cv. Petranova) on a moderately polluted industrial soil (loamy sand) in the sub-continental climate of Eastern Austria. The effects of the rate (up to 2.1 g kg−1 soil) and mode (single versus split) of EDTA application on the biomass, water contents and metal concentrations in shoots and roots were investigated along with changes of metal lability in soil and leaching from the root zone in parallel outdoors pot and lysimeter experiments. Labile (1 M NH4NO3-extractable) metal concentrations in soil increased considerably upon application of EDTA, indicating enhanced phytoavailability. However, this was also associated with enormously increased metal concentrations in the leachates collected below the root zone. Enhanced metal labilities and leachate concentrations persisted for more than 1 year after harvest. Metal lability was more enhanced by EDTA in rhizosphere relative to bulk soil, indicating interactions of EDTA with root activities. Shoot biomass and water contents of canola were virtually unaffected by EDTA, revealing that canola can tolerate excessive metal concentrations in soil pore water. Metal concentrations in shoots were increased considerably, but were insufficient to obtain reasonable extraction rates. Split applications were generally more effective than the same amounts of EDTA added at once. Metal concentrations in roots decreased after each application of EDTA, possibly indicating metal removal from roots by free protonated EDTA, but increased again within several days. As the application of chelate-assisted phytoextraction is limited by the risk of groundwater pollution, further work should focus on natural, continuous phytoextraction technologies.
Walter W. Wenzel; Reinhard Unterbrunner; Peter Sommer; Pasqualina Sacco. Chelate-assisted phytoextraction using canola (Brassica napus L.) in outdoors pot and lysimeter experiments. Plant and Soil 2003, 249, 83 -96.
AMA StyleWalter W. Wenzel, Reinhard Unterbrunner, Peter Sommer, Pasqualina Sacco. Chelate-assisted phytoextraction using canola (Brassica napus L.) in outdoors pot and lysimeter experiments. Plant and Soil. 2003; 249 (1):83-96.
Chicago/Turabian StyleWalter W. Wenzel; Reinhard Unterbrunner; Peter Sommer; Pasqualina Sacco. 2003. "Chelate-assisted phytoextraction using canola (Brassica napus L.) in outdoors pot and lysimeter experiments." Plant and Soil 249, no. 1: 83-96.