Analysis of barriers to circularity for agricultural cooperatives in the digitalization era

Purpose This study aims to propose a novel framework for barriers to circularity within cooperative supply chains. The barriers in the adoption and implementation of circular economy principles are examined within a framework. Design/methodology/approach Fuzzy best-worst method is used to calculate the weights of barriers and identify the prioritization of barriers to circularity within cooperative supply chain. Findings "Insufficient implementation of circular economy laws" was found as the most important barrier, followed by "Lack of information", "Ineffective recycling policies", "Lack of awareness for circular economy", "Remanufacturing is a labor-intensive procedure", "Inconsistent price policies in sources and products", "Lack of environmental management system", "Cost of implementation for green activities" and "Lack of R&D capability" barriers, respectively. Research limitations/implications The number of participant professionals limits the conclusions of the study and reaching more general conclusions. A comprehensive research can be conducted by the participation of a greater number of professionals. Originality/value Several studies analyzed the barriers to circularity; however, to the best of the authors' knowledge, no study has been taken an approach for barriers to circularity for cooperatives or cooperative supply chains.