Circular Economy Research in Coffee Systems: Insights for Sustainable Enterprise Development and Value Chain Transformation

Abstract

The growing demand for sustainable production systems has intensiQied interest in circular economy applications within coffee systems, particularly in relation to waste valorization, resource recovery, and regenerative sustainability pathways. This study aimed to examine the intellectual structure, thematic evolution, and research dynamics of circular economy research in coffee systems through bibliometric and knowledge-mapping analysis. Bibliographic data were retrieved from Lens.org using a structured Boolean search strategy. After screening and cleaning procedures, 96 journal articles published between 2017 and 2026 were retained for analysis. Bibliometric techniques, co-word analysis, co-authorship analysis, thematic mapping, and network visualization using Bibliometrix and VOSviewer were employed. The Qindings revealed that the Qield is an emerging yet rapidly expanding interdisciplinary domain primarily driven by themes related to coffee waste valorization, circular bioeconomy, sustainability assessment, resource recovery, and supply-chain optimization. The results further showed that research collaboration remains moderately fragmented and geographically concentrated in Europe and Latin America. Although agroecological and regenerative sustainability perspectives have started to emerge, the Qield remains largely dominated by techno-economic and industrial sustainability approaches. The study highlights the need for stronger integration of agroecological, farmer-centered, and socioecological perspectives in future circular economy research within coffee systems.