Inclusive governance and sustainable value co-creation in circular business models: The case of ‘neighbourhood hubs against food waste’ in Milan

Reducing our waste size

PurposeFood waste is one of the most challenging issues humanity is currently facing. Therefore, there has been a growing interest in the prevention of food waste because of world hunger, environmental impacts, resource scarcity and economic costs. The purpose of the study is to investigate the factors that influence food waste and the role of technology in tackling food waste in India and the Netherlands.Design/methodology/approachIn order to explore differences in food loss and waste further this study will examine a number of practices on both the production and the consumer side, in a developing country and a developed country with different culture/economic backgrounds: India and the Netherlands. The factors that influence food waste were examined with a preliminary qualitative study, which consists of semi-structured interviews, and quantitative research that comprises a survey. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in both India and the Netherlands, which consists of five interviews. The survey data was collected from 78 individuals from India and 115 individuals from the Netherlands.FindingsOne of the main findings of the research is food waste is divided into waste within agricultural production (i.e. food loss) and final household consumption (i.e. food waste). Different factors influence food loss in different stages in the supply chain. Some of these factors include wastage during processing, storage, transportation and at the market-place. New technologies can utilize food loss for new purposes, so food loss is reduced to the minimum. Food waste is mainly influenced by food passing expiry date, food that is left too long in the fridge and consumers buying too much food. In final household consumption, technologies such as digital platforms enable individuals or organizations to share and donate their food, thereby creating awareness on food waste prevention and the environmental and ethical benefits.Originality/valueThe authors examine to what extent and in which ways supporting consumers to minimize food waste can be achieved via three stages: (1) understanding and evaluating food loss and waste, (2) identifying the factors that influence food loss and waste, (3) understanding consumer behaviors to encourage food waste reduction and (4) identifying the technological impact that would reduce food waste. As such, this paper contributes to ongoing debates about food waste by looking at the role of context and culture and by exploring differences between developed and developing countries. Also, the authors advance the debate by exploring both the role of advanced technology such as blockchain and drones in both preventing loss and waste as well as non-technological mechanisms.

Food waste has been identified as one of the major factors that constitute numerous anthropogenic activities, especially in developing countries. There is a growing problem with food waste that affects every part of the waste management system, from collection to disposal; finding long-term solutions necessitates involving all participants in the food supply chain, from farmers and manufacturers to distributors and consumers. In addition to food waste management, maintaining food sustainability and security globally is crucial so that every individual, household, and nation can always get food. “End hunger, achieve food security and enhanced nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture” are among the main challenges of global sustainable development (SDG) goal 2. Therefore, sustainable food waste management technology is needed. Recent attention has been focused on global food loss and waste. One-third of food produced for human use is wasted every year. Source reduction (i.e., limiting food losses and waste) and contemporary treatment technologies appear to be the most promising strategy for converting food waste into safe, nutritious, value-added feed products and achieving sustainability. Food waste is also employed in industrial processes for the production of biofuels or biopolymers. Biofuels mitigate the detrimental effects of fossil fuels. Identifying crop-producing zones, bioenergy cultivars, and management practices will enhance the natural environment and sustainable biochemical process. Traditional food waste reduction strategies are ineffective in lowering GHG emissions and food waste treatment. The main contribution of this study is an inventory of the theoretical and practical methods of prevention and minimization of food waste and losses. It identifies the trade-offs for food safety, sustainability, and security. Moreover, it investigates the impact of COVID-19 on food waste behavior.

Reducing agricultural loss and food waste: how will nature fare?

Editorial and News

Enhancing food security and environmental sustainability: A critical review of food loss and waste management

Managing food waste is key to tackling climate change

Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development is a global commitment that includes a set of 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) and 169 targets. Food systems are at the heart of this agenda. SDG 12 seeks to 'ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns'. The third target under this goal, target 12.3, calls for reducing by half per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels, and reducing food losses along production and supply chains (including post-harvest losses) by 2030. SDG target 12.3 has the potential to embed prevention and reduction of food loss and waste in public and private sector strategies and to contribute to more sustainable diets and consumption patterns around the world. Food systems today are confronted with, among other issues, increasing non-communicable diseases linked to diets as well as socioeconomic and environmental concerns related to food waste. The macro- and micro-food environment within which consumers find themselves is multidimensional and they - alongside national governments and food supply chain stakeholders - can play a role in preventing and reducing food waste and contributing to sustainable diets. This chapter identifies six major challenges related to food waste prevention and reduction and sustainable food systems. Challenges range from recognition that the global food system is impacted by the attitudes and behaviours of local, national, regional and global food supply chain actors, to the definitions of food waste, measurement methodologies, data collection, and the need for agro-industry productivity and behavioural change thinking. A matrix policy analysis - based on a combination of initiatives at macro, meso and micro-level - is then recommended as a possible approach to successful food waste prevention and reduction.

This study explores the critical intersection between food security, sustainable development, and food loss and waste (FLW). Anchored in Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2 and 12, the research emphasizes the importance of aligning efforts to end hunger with strategies to reduce FLW. Food security requires consistent access to nutritious food, yet food insecurity persists, affecting millions worldwide, with significant consequences for health, economic stability, and environmental sustainability. The current review examines various policy approaches across different regions, highlighting how differing strategies impact the effectiveness of FLW reduction and food security enhancement. For instance, while some countries focus on legislative measures to prevent food loss, others prioritize innovative practices such as repurposing near-expiry food or investing in sustainable food systems. The study also highlights innovative practices, such as municipal restaurants in Türkiye, which provide affordable and nutritious meals while minimizing waste, and cooperative initiatives empowering women. Additionally, the role of artificial intelligence and circular economy models in reducing FLW is explored, emphasizing the need for systemic and structural reforms. Global initiatives like the Food & Agriculture Organization’s “Save Food” campaign, along with policy-driven approaches such as food banks and food waste awareness campaigns, underscore the importance of a collaborative effort between governments, private sectors, and NGOs to tackle both the symptoms and root causes of food insecurity.

Preventing food waste is a major global challenge to the sustainability and security of the environment, society and economy. In response to that challenge, a plethora of initiatives addressing food waste have formed in recent years. These initiatives focus on aspects such as the efficiency of resource use, reduction of supply chain food waste, food donations and rescue, consumer behaviour, and above all, innovative ways to add value to food surplus and waste. What many initiatives have in common is that they mainly deal with food waste once it exists rather than preventing it from occurring in the first place, which might thwart efforts to increase long-term food systems sustainability. The idea of food waste prevention itself is beset by several conceptual paradoxes: it is considered the most preferred method to manage waste—which it was supposed to prevent in the first place, and it is an ambiguous ecological behaviour lacking the tangible characteristics of waste composting or recycling (i.e. prevention by its nature is invisible). Most importantly, food waste prevention, like other major sustainability challenges, appears to be in a fundamental conflict of interest with current economic norms and practices. In response to these dissonances of prevention and the inability of waste management to reduce the creation of food waste, researchers have proposed a number of new approaches, including the re-appraisal of food overproduction as a key cause of food waste. Accepting Mourad’s (Environ Soc Berkeley J Sociol 59:26–33, 2015) challenge to “think outside the bin”, this work proposes a “Prevention Paradox” framing as a conceptual link between the bodies of research on food overproduction and food waste prevention, offering a more holistic approach to this major sustainability challenge.

Food losses refer to edible food mass decrease throughout the human food chain. Food losses occurring at consumption stage are called food waste. Food Losses and Waste (FLW) represent one of the most critical social, economic and ecological challenges facing humanity, besides being also an ethical issue. FAO data show that roughly one-third of food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted. There are no precise and accurate data regarding food waste in Near East and North Africa (NENA) region. The review paper aims at providing insights about the extent of FLW in NENA region with a special focus on Arab countries and Iran. The paper explores linkages between food waste and food security. Moreover, it analyses the economic and environmental implications of FLW. FLW vary depending on food type, country and season. Generally speaking, postharvest losses are significant in this region for most of commodity groups. It is estimated that FLW amount to 34% of food supply in NENA region. FLW undermine the very foundations of food security and amount to major depletion of resources (e.g. water, land, energy) and produce needlessly greenhouse gases. They also represent a wasted investment that reduces farmers’ incomes and increase consumers’ expenses. Therefore, food waste reduction is crucial for improving the sustainability of the food supply chain and achieving food and nutrition security in the region.

Over recent years, the problem of food waste has been faced all around the world. Various reasons contribute to this, most of which are highly avoidable in nature. Ideally, it is the responsibility of every individual/institution to make every effort possible towards preventing food waste, but this study focussed only on the role of higher educational institutions. The overall aim of this project was to assess the practicalities of developing and implementing a food and packaging waste prevention programme in a university setting using the University of Salford, Manchester Metropolitan University, University of Manchester, Newcastle University and Small World Cafe (Oxford Road, Manchester) foodservices as case studies. The research involved carrying out face-to-face semi-structured interviews with the cooks, chefs, cafeteria managers and estate managers from all the participating institutions to collect qualitative data on the factors associated with food waste and the current food waste management practices at their facilities. The responses were thoroughly analysed to highlight the good practises and areas for improvement with regards to their food waste prevention and management practises. These findings included best practices and ideas for preventing pre- and post-consumer food waste along with suitable options for managing food waste in a university setting. These findings were then used to recommend a food waste prevention and management program.KeywordsUOS: University of SalfordMMU: Manchester metropolitan universityUOM: University Of ManchesterNU: Newcastle UniversitySWC: Small world cafe

Food Waste: A Solvable Problem

Editorial and News

This report contains case studies of food loss and waste policy practices in Japan and the United Kingdom. The Japanese case study examines the goals, measurements, achievements and future challenges of the country’s food loss and waste policies. The Japanese government has implemented policies to suppress and recycle food loss and waste since 2000 under its Food Recycling Law. The control of food waste generation is based on a specific target for each industry group, in order to address differences in the scope for loss and waste reduction across sectors. While food waste in the food industry has been reduced, the waste at consumer stage has shown no change in recent years, highlighting outstanding challenges at the consumer stage. Preventing food waste has been a priority for Governments in the United Kingdom for over a decade, and a range of mechanisms have been put in place to deliver this within households, hospitality and food service, food manufacture, retail and wholesale sectors. The UK case study outlines the policy context within which food waste prevention sits, explains how food waste is defined in the United Kingdom, provides detail on the level and types of food waste across different sectors, and describes the interventions adopted and their impacts. Between 2007 and 2012 household food waste reduced by 15%, despite a 4% increase in household numbers, and food waste at manufacture and retail fell by 10% between 2009 and 2012. There is significant potential to reduce food waste further, however it is likely that this will become increasingly challenging.