ASSESSMENT OF AGRICULTURAL WASTE GENERATION AND TREATMENT IN LITHUANIA

Abstract

As environmental challenges increase, greater attention is being paid to sustainable agricultural solutions. The article examines and evaluates trends in the generation and management of agricultural waste in Lithuania during 2006–2022, using statistical time-series data from the Lithuanian Statistics Portal and the Eurostat database. The results of the study showed that, during the analysed period, both the total amount of agricultural waste and the volumes of its management increased in Lithuania. It was determined that the majority of plant and animal waste is generated in the agriculture, forestry, and fisheries sector, while plant-origin waste predominates in the structure of agricultural waste. In addition, a significant share of crop and animal waste is managed by being reused within farms themselves, thus creating conditions for more efficient use of resources and the application of circular economy principles.