Governance of the circular economy in the canned fish industry: A case study from Spain

Abstract

Spain is the leading country in the production of canned fish in Europe, with 305,403 tonnes in 2022. Part of its success is due to the fact that this industry is one of the leading sectors in innovation and technology transfer within the agri-food chain in Spain. At the beginning of the 21st century, its research centre created a line of product valorisation, the seed of the current research on circular economy. This article aims to analyse, from the New Institutional Economics (NIE) approach, the process of institutional change and evolution of the Spanish canned fish sector. The evolution of the legal framework, as well as the internal organisation of the sector and its strategies, have modified the governance relationships, changing the incentives and transaction costs of the actors in the industry. The results show the existence of two distinct phases, 2007-2015 and 2016-2022. In the first phase, most research projects were regional in nature and institutional relationships were more limited. In the second stage, the creation of a solid legal framework, together with the inauguration of a new research centre, the incorporation of new equipment, the increase in the number of partners and the strengthening of relations with actors in the sector, strengthened the implementation of the circular economy in the canning industry. In both periods, the high degree of associationism in the Spanish canned fish industry is key to creating economies of scale, increasing public and private collaboration and participating in research projects.