Modelling and assessment of circular scenarios in local sheep supply chains: the MAX-SHEEP project

In recent decades, the progressive globalisation of supply chains produced relevant effects on the territories in which they were originally settled (Taddeo, 2022). In the Mediterranean region, sheep supply chains largely suffered such effects, despite their historical and crucial role in maintaining the ecosystems of the territories where they are located (Madau et al., 2022). MAX-SHEEP is a research project aimed at developing an eco-industrial model of the Italian sheep supply chain, capable of supporting the implementation of circular solutions in local contexts. Started at the end of 2023 and funded by the NextGenerationEU Plan, the project will test the potential circular and “bio-economic” transition of sheep supply chain in three Southern Italian regions: Abruzzo, Apulia and Sardinia, where sheep farming is typical (over 50% of the sheep reared in Italy). This article describes the project’s strategy and methodological approach.