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Sustainable farming in the circular economy Our current linear economy does not take the negative externalities of extraction, production, distribution, usage, and disposal of (often fossil-fuel based) materials into account. The linear economy is the current, prevailing economic system in which natural resources are extracted and used to create products which are then consumed and subsequently disposed as waste, even if they still contain valuable resources.1 • Already visible problems include, but are not limited to: • The dispersion of toxic materials in the environment, which causes air, land and ocean pollution, destruction of natural environments and extinction of endangered species. • The consequences of the release of anthropogenic greenhouse gases (GHG), that change the chemical composition of the atmosphere. This results in more frequent climate change induced natural disasters, such as floods, hurricanes and droughts, leading to crop failure and food crises. This is already a reality in some parts of the world. • Public health issues following the exposure to air pollution and toxic materials that dissipate into our bodies throughout the food chain and via consumer products. • Unequal distribution of wealth and resources across the globe.2