Simulation for sustainable agri-food production: from efficiency optimization to waste reuse

This study analyzes the application of simulation in the agri-food production processes, with a focus on integrating Industry 4.0 technologies to improve efficiency, flexibility, product quality and environmental sustainability. The growing interest in simulation applications, their use in the agri-food sector is still in an initial phase compared to other industries, especially in terms of circular economy practices and waste reuse. This research addresses this gap by focusing on sustainable waste reuse in citrus production processes. Using Siemens Tecnomatix Plant Simulation software, a model was developed to simulate the production of citrus products, such as juices, jams, icings and alcoholic drinks, allowing bottlenecks to be identified and resources to be optimized. Minitab 17 software was used for statistical analysis of the results, confirming the benefits of optimization, including reduced production times and operating costs. The innovative aspect of this study lies in the development of a second model, which emphasizes sustainability through renewable energy generation from production waste. The sustainable model enabled the plant to meet 30% of its energy needs independently, and production time in the juice line was reduced from 4 days to just over 1 day. A second sustainability-oriented model introduces the reuse of production waste to generate renewable energy and by-products, fostering a circular economy. The results highlight how the integration of simulation and statistical tools can promote significant improvements in production performance and energy sustainability, contributing to the evolution of the agri-food sector toward more sustainable and competitive practices.