The circular economy paradigm offers a critical framework for addressing agricultural sustainability challenges, yet limited empirical evidence exists regarding how ecological innovations create simultaneous value across environmental, economic, and social dimensions. This study examines stakeholder value creation mechanisms through a 200-day longitudinal case study (March–October 2025) of Fuyang, China’s ecological transformation utilizing exciton-mineral technology for livestock waste valorization. The mixed-methods approach combined environmental monitoring, economic performance data, social surveys (n = 4523), and governance document analysis across operations processing 3000–4500 tons of poultry waste monthly. Results indicated significant environmental improvements including 99.4% odor reduction (NH3: 999 → 5.6 ppm), 387% soil biodiversity increase, and 42% methane emission reduction. Economic benefits included +20% farmer net profit and +57% egg price premium. Social outcomes encompassed 96.2% resident satisfaction and complete elimination of odor complaints. Governance innovation established China’s first permit-free bio-mineral production system. The findings suggest that ecological innovations embedding circularity as automatic outcomes, rather than requiring behavioral coordination, can accelerate circular agriculture transitions beyond policy mandates, pointing to a potentially scalable model for sustainable production–consumption systems in developing economies.
Woo et al. (2026) studied this question.