Sustainable Food Supply Chains as a Potential Response to Agro-Food Loss and Waste

A special issue of Agriculture (ISSN 2077-0472). This special issue belongs to the section "Agricultural Economics, Policies and Rural Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 4226

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Romanian Academy, Iasi Brunch, “Gh. Zane” Institute for Economic and Social Research, 700481 Iasi, Romania
Interests: agriculture; organic agriculture; short food supply chains; rural development; food security; consumer behavior; resilience; farm to fork
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Institute of Interdisciplinary Research, CERNESIM Environmental Research Center, Universitatea “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” din Iași, 700506 Iași, Romania
Interests: environmental quality in relation to social and economic wellbeing; environmental protection from the perspective of environmental concern, both attitudes and perceptions; sustainable development; poverty

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

One significant challenge for food supply chains is the persistent issue of food loss and waste, occurring from the early stages of production through to the point of bringing products to market. This challenge has a profound impact on society, the economy, and the environment.

Accordingly, we are pleased to invite you to contribute to this Special Issue entitled “Sustainable Food Supply Chains as a Potential Response to Agro-Food Loss and Waste”. This Special Issue aims to bring together different approaches to understanding where and why agro-food loss and waste occur across the food supply chain and to propose practical insights toward sustainable mitigation strategies.

Original research articles and reviews are encouraged on topics including, but not limited to:

(i) Assessment approaches to quantify agro-food loss and waste from the early stage of production to the stage of bringing the product to market;

(ii) Factors contributing to agro-food loss and waste;

(iii) Strategies and interventions to effectively reduce agro-food loss and waste;

(iv) Impacts of food loss and waste on society, the economy, and the environment;

(v) Policy shifts and challenges supporting sustainable food supply chains and the potential externalities of such approaches.

Case studies and comparative analyses from diverse geographical regions are also welcomed.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Ioan Sebastian Brumă
Dr. Simona Roxana Ulman
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agriculture is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • food loss and waste
  • food supply chains
  • determinant factors
  • assessment methodologies
  • sustainable transformation
  • environmental challenges
  • policy shifts

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 1069 KB  
Article
Craft Brewers’ Spent Grains as a Secondary Resource: Chemical Profiling of Key Nutritional Components
by Anca Corina Farcas, Maria Simona Chis, Sonia Ancuta Socaci, Francisc Dulf, Paula Podea, Liana Claudia Salanta, Adriana Paucean and Oana Negrean
Agriculture 2026, 16(7), 720; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture16070720 - 24 Mar 2026
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Abstract
Despite recent biotechnological advancements in the brewing industry, the effective valorization of spent grains from craft beer production remains challenging due to the nutritional variability of cereal-based raw materials. This study analyzes the proteins, free amino acids, fatty acids, and mineral composition of [...] Read more.
Despite recent biotechnological advancements in the brewing industry, the effective valorization of spent grains from craft beer production remains challenging due to the nutritional variability of cereal-based raw materials. This study analyzes the proteins, free amino acids, fatty acids, and mineral composition of spent grains obtained from two beer types brewed with different proportions of maize grits and malted wheat, in order to assess the influence of adjunct composition. Protein content ranged between 25.81% and 28.43%, with higher values observed in the wheat-based spent grain. Total free amino acids were also higher in the wheat-based sample (190.03 mg/100 g) compared to the maize-based variant (178.66 mg/100 g). Both samples showed a similar fatty acid profile dominated by linoleic acid (51.39–51.58%), while phosphorus was the predominant mineral (up to 2700.03 mg/kg). These results suggest that adjunct type influences the nutritional characteristics of spent grains and provide a basis for their differentiated valorization in sustainable agri-food systems. Full article
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21 pages, 1271 KB  
Article
A Path Analysis of Behavioral Drivers of Household Food Waste in Greece
by Zacharias Papanikolaou and Christos Karelakis
Agriculture 2025, 15(23), 2481; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture15232481 - 29 Nov 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1350
Abstract
Food waste is one of the planet’s most pressing challenges, directly linked to food security, resource depletion, greenhouse gas emissions, and, more broadly, environmental concerns demanding immediate attention. This issue occurs throughout the entire food value chain; however, households are the primary source [...] Read more.
Food waste is one of the planet’s most pressing challenges, directly linked to food security, resource depletion, greenhouse gas emissions, and, more broadly, environmental concerns demanding immediate attention. This issue occurs throughout the entire food value chain; however, households are the primary source of waste. This research examines the key factors influencing household food waste behavior and investigates how these factors can contribute to the development of sustainable practices that minimize environmental impacts. Six research hypotheses were examined, focusing on consumers’ knowledge of environmental and food waste issues, their awareness of their community, their emotional responses to their actions, and their social and economic status. A structured questionnaire was administered to a sample of 870 individuals in a region of Greece, and the data were analyzed using factor and path analyses. The results showed that education and accurate information about environmental issues, as well as strategies for reducing waste and its impact on the environment and the economy, were strongly correlated with consumers’ food waste behaviors. The proposed model demonstrated moderate explanatory power (R2 = 0.396) and excellent fit indices (χ2 = 10.58, p < 0.001, NFI = 0.99, IFI = 0.995, CFI = 0.98, RMSEA = 0.06), highlighting the significance of the main predictors identified. Full article
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36 pages, 2812 KB  
Systematic Review
Logistics Practices to Reduce Food Loss in Sustainable Agri-Food Supply Chains: From Literature Review to Research Framework
by Peiyun Yu, Roshayati Abdul Hamid, Lokhman Hakim Osman, Jing Liao and Chujie Ni
Agriculture 2026, 16(5), 587; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture16050587 - 4 Mar 2026
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Abstract
Agri-food supply chains (AFSCs) lose approximately 1.3 billion tons of food annually, posing a major challenge to environmental sustainability. Logistics deficiencies are widely recognized as key drivers of postharvest losses. However, most studies examine isolated practices, with limited attention to their interactive effects [...] Read more.
Agri-food supply chains (AFSCs) lose approximately 1.3 billion tons of food annually, posing a major challenge to environmental sustainability. Logistics deficiencies are widely recognized as key drivers of postharvest losses. However, most studies examine isolated practices, with limited attention to their interactive effects across AFSCs stages, or to the mechanism linking operation practices, theories, and empirical research framework. This study conducts a systematic literature review following the PRISMA guidelines. Using Web of Science and Scopus, 90 empirical studies published between 2001 and August 2025 were analyzed to examine how food loss occurs and is mitigated across AFSCs. The review defines the operational boundaries of AFSCs, identifies six categories of food loss drivers, and systematically maps corresponding mitigation strategies across logistics stages. Findings indicate that logistics practices alone are insufficient to achieve effective food loss reduction. The effectiveness of logistics practices depends on organizational capabilities such as digital technology for monitoring and forecasting, collaboration for coordinated decision-making, and institutional pressures that encourage sustainable operations. Drawing on Natural Resource-based View, Dynamic Capability View, and institutional theory, this study proposes an integrated research framework to guide future empirical studies. The framework also provides practical guidance for managers and policymakers seeking to advance food loss reduction and contribute to achieving SDG 12.3. Full article
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