Toward a Greener Future: Applying Circular Economy Principles to Saudi Arabia’s Food Sector for Environmental Sustainability

Abstract

Applying new designs and business formats to production and consumption patterns as part of the circular economy (CE), an increasingly popular concept within environmental research, ensures sustainable food production practices and fosters environmental sustainability. The CE approach is particularly relevant in arid regions, such as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), challenged by extremely harsh climates where natural resources are both scarce and excessively exploited. This study thus aims to show how the CE concept can be applied to the food sector in the KSA by identifying relevant issues and related CE strategies through a literature review. The CE framework is presented to explain sectoral challenges at the macro and meso levels and maps the associated circular strategies with specific models and corresponding examples of industrial applications in. Finally, circular strategies from the mapping are compared with the current situation in the country to identify where they are already practiced, identify gaps and priorities, and outline prospects. Effective management of food loss and waste requires a timely, holistic strategy to add value to the sustainable development goals (SDGs) outlined in the Saudi Arabia Vision 2030 and SDG 12.3 target that aims to reduce the rates of food loss and waste by 50% by 2030.