Purpose
Circular agriculture is a farming strategy designed to minimize inputs and environmental impact by improving soil health, reducing waste, and reusing materials. In the context of livestock production and manure management, circularity emphasizes nutrient recycling, minimizing environmental losses, and balancing nutrient inflows and outflows to sustain agricultural systems. These priorities have long been a focus of Extension efforts across livestock-intensive regions.
This work examines the role of Extension in defining, branding, and messaging circularity within manure management. Our objective is to highlight past progress, explore future opportunities, and establish consistent messaging across farmers, industry, and the public. Through multiple analyses, we demonstrate how minor alterations in messaging can tailor information to address different audience concerns.
What Did We Do?
To evaluate the evolution of manure management and its role in circular agriculture, we conducted several analyses:
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- Historical Nutrient Flow & Circularity Metrics
Using historical data, we traced changes in nutrient use efficiency due to advancements in cropping systems, manure handling, and livestock genetics.
Findings illustrate continuous improvement in livestock production systems and highlight key drivers of efficiency.
Improvements were attributed to livestock performance, crop performance, and manure management, helping identify areas requiring greater emphasis for future progress.
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- Nutrient Separation vs. Direct Manure Application
We compared traditional manure application with nutrient separation techniques to assess their impact on nutrient circularity and economic viability. Nutrient separation could include solid liquid separation systems, but ideally will be based on systems that target partitioning of N and P, to better focus on how nutrient flows are impacted.
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- Comparing Manure & Municipal Waste Management
By comparing manure management practices with municipal waste handling systems, we examined how these comparisons shape public perception.
Extension’s role includes bridging the gap between agricultural decision-making and a public that is increasingly disconnected from farming, requiring clear, relatable messaging.
What Have We Learned?
The analysis highlights several key takeaways:
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- Livestock & Crop Improvements Have Driven Nutrient Use Gains – While significant progress has been made, additional focus on manure management is needed to accelerate circularity.
- Decision Tools Can Be Re-Branded – Farmers and industry stakeholders can benefit from repurposed decision-support tools that incorporate circularity metrics to inform practical manure management choices.
- Public Understanding Requires Clear Communication – Agricultural waste and manure management must be explained in ways that connect with non-farm audiences, emphasizing environmental and health benefits.
- Multimodal Messaging Enhances Engagement – Using a combination of visual graphics, infographics, and multimedia content, Extension can effectively communicate circularity’s value to diverse audiences.
Future Plans
To strengthen Extension’s role in promoting circularity in manure management, future efforts will focus on:
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- Developing targeted messaging for farmers, industry professionals, and the general public to improve adoption of circular manure management practices.
- Creating practical decision-support tools that incorporate circularity metrics to assist in manure management planning.
- Enhancing outreach efforts through multimedia resources, including infographics, videos, and interactive educational tools.
- Strengthening connections between manure management and broader sustainability discussions by aligning messaging with climate resilience, water quality, and regenerative agriculture initiatives.
Authors
Presenting & Corresponding author
Daniel Andersen, Associate Professor, Iowa State University, Dsa@iastate.edu
The authors are solely responsible for the content of these proceedings. The technical information does not necessarily reflect the official position of the sponsoring agencies or institutions represented by planning committee members, and inclusion and distribution herein does not constitute an endorsement of views expressed by the same. Printed materials included herein are not refereed publications. Citations should appear as follows. EXAMPLE: Authors. 2025. Title of presentation. Waste to Worth. Boise, ID. April 7–11, 2025. URL of this page. Accessed on: today’s date.