Purpose: In total, 19 practices of circular economy divided into three groups, internal environmental management, ecological design and investment recovery were studied in a local network composed of small companies and individual entrepreneurs related to common product and by-product flows. The paper aims to discuss these issues.Design/methodology/approach: This research presents an applied nature, is characterized as exploratory and adopted the case study as a technical procedure using sources and methods of data collection. The primary data were collected through direct observation of the processes and semi-structured interviews with managers and owners.Findings: The most widespread practices are related to product design. However, in most cases, the implementation was punctual and did not present continuous and corresponding actions, which highlights the embryonic contours of European Commission (EC) in the observed network. The practices from the management category were less observed, which revels the environmental variable is not included in the strategic business planning.Research limitations/implications: The research documents the application of CE practices in a local network and brings this current paradigm shift to the Brazilian context.Practical implications: To overcome barriers to the implementation of EC practices, it is suggested to restructure commercial relations, to formulate public policies and to develop infrastructures that facilitate the materiality of flows and the market.Social implications: The study highlights the need of public policies that promotes cross-sectoral cooperation in accordance with NSWP objectives.Originality/value: Despite the focus on EC implemented practices this study offers a framework of the research routes on the main barriers and suggests actions to overcome the challenges in the transition from the economy to the circular model.

Urban agriculture (UA) can be used as an action to promote sustainability in cities and inform public health policies for urban populations. Despite this growing recognition, its implementation still presents challenges in countries in the Global North and Global South. Background: In this context, this systematic review aims to identify the development of frameworks for the implementation of UA as a sustainable action and its main opportunities and shortcomings in meeting urban socio-environmental demands. Methods: In this review, using the PRISMA protocol, we evaluated 26 studies on the interplay between UA and sustainability surveyed on the Web of Science to provide an overview of the state of the art. Conclusions: In summary, it was possible to identify many key challenges in UA adoption, which regard air and soil contamination, availability of green areas, layout of urban infrastructure, food distribution, among others. Due to numerous socio-economic and environmental contextual factors in cities, especially when comparing realities of the Global North and Global South, there is a need to develop a model that can be adaptable to these different contexts. Thus, it is recognized that the concept of sustainability does not present a universal understanding and that in its search it could be argued that one of the most important gaps is still to address social issues in relation to environmental ones.

The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) aims to analyze the environmental viability of projects, but exhibits problems that compromise its quality, such as the fragmented, technocratic and positivist vision. The prediction of environmental impacts can be improved using the ecosystem approach, considering the processes and the ecosystem services affected. The present work applied this approach in the expansion project of the Port of São Sebastião (São Paulo, Brazil), in which the EIA was judicially questioned, based on documental analysis and discussion by specialists. Unlike foreseen in the EIA, the analysis of oceanographic processes showed direct and indirect impacts on ecosystem services and benefits, irreversible and/or of great magnitude. The analysis also allowed an improvement to the comprehension not only on the effects on the environmental components and processes (hydrodynamics, sediment dynamics and biodiversity), but also on human well-being, evidencing the benefits of applying the ecosystem approach in the EIA.

The use of conservation managements such as the silvopastoral system, and the Voisin rational grazing system have been excellent alternatives to increase animal welfare and production efficiency and improve soil chemical attributes of degraded pastures. Therefore, the objective of this work was to evaluatethe effect of a High Biodiversity Silvopastoral System (SPSNUCLEUS) on the soil chemical attributes through comparisons with soils of a Management Intensive Grazing without trees (MIG), primary forest, and secondary forest areas. Total organic carbon, total nitrogen, pH, Al, H+Al, Ca, Mg, K, and P were evaluated after four years of implementation of SPSNUCLEUS. Soil samples from the layers 0-5, 5-10, 10-20, 20-30, and 30-40 cm were collected in all areas—SPSNUCLEUS, MIG, primary forest, and secondary forest. SPSNUCLEUS had better soil quality, with increased P and K contents (0-30 cm), compared to the other areas, and higher total organic carbon,and total nitrogen contents (5-30 cm) when compared to the MIG and secondary forest areas. The soil carbon accumulation capacity in the SPSNUCLEUS area in the layers of 5-10 cm and 20-40 cm was similar to that of the primary forest area, and higher to those of the other areas. SPSNUCLEUS proved to be a promising system to improve the soil chemical attributes of pastures.

Social participation enriches decision-making and is considered a civil right in many democratic countries, despite remaining a challenge. This paper presents evidence and discusses the evolution of social participation in the Araçá Bay (Southeastern Brazil), as a result of participatory action-research. Over three years, a process of social mobilization and participatory environmental assessment and planning engaged local stakeholders and resulted in a sustainable development plan. Enhanced social participation was evidenced by: (1) building trust among participants; (2) increasing knowledge of social-ecological features of Araçá Bay; (3) acknowledging different perspectives and interests about the bay; and (4) improving the understanding of management dynamics and institutions. The process led to the emergence of a local stewarded group that has the potential to foster the implementation of the sustainable development plan.