HORECA SECTOR FOOD LOSS AND WASTE MANAGEMENT IN BULGARIA

Abstract

Food losses and waste are indicators for inefficient use of the available resources. The objective of this study is to investigate the management and prevention of food loss and waste of HoReCa sector in Bulgaria. The losses could be observed throughout the entire supply chain, from initial production to final consumption. Huge quantities of resources, even natural as water and fertilizer, are used to produce food that never reaches to the consumer’s table. Although, the problem of food losses is globally recognized, there are still limited reports for the sufficient management of its reducing, prevention and alternative areas of usage. Mainly, the investigations are focused on the geographical coverage, but Bulgaria could be considered as unexplored in this direction. Managing food loss and waste is a priority task, because preventing them leads to increasing the food accessibility, improving the quality of life, and saving the natural resources of the Earth. Food waste is a complex issue requiring a variety of technological solutions and direct public interventions and incentive structures to change consumer behavior. All this requires attention at different levels.