Prioritizing digitalization strategies for circular economy implementation in the agrifood supply chain of the fish canning industry

This study examines the integration of circular economy (CE) principles and digitalization in agri-food supply chains (ASC), with a particular focus on the fish canning industry, to identify and prioritize key drivers, strategies, and implementation approaches for improving sustainability and operational efficiency. A mixed-methods approach is employed, beginning with a systematic literature review of 61 studies (with exclusion reasons documented via a PRISMA flow diagram), followed by a survey of 65 industry experts analyzed using the Best–Worst Method (BWM) to rank these elements. The results indicate that collaborative platforms (weight: 0.441) are the most influential driver, digital platforms and sharing-economy models (0.310) represent the leading strategy, and pilot projects and demonstration initiatives (0.380) are the most effective implementation approach. The proposed framework was validated through an expert workshop with fish canning industry professionals, demonstrating strong potential to enhance circular performance and operational outcomes. This study makes a unique contribution by offering the first empirically validated, prioritized decision-support framework that integrates CE and digitalization specifically for the agri-food sector, bridging the gap between conceptual understanding and practical, actionable guidance for managers and policymakers. The findings provide a phased roadmap emphasizing scalable pilot projects and digital collaboration platforms to accelerate CE-driven transformation.