Search Results (21)

This study analyzes artificial intelligence (AI)-based technologies for food waste reduction in restaurant management, particularly in the case of the Philippines. Using the multiple-stakeholder target-oriented robust-optimization (MS-TORO) approach, AI solutions are ranked based on cost, feasibility, infrastructure requirements, and effectiveness. The key findings highlight that Too Good To Go is the most practical AI solution due to its affordability and focus on surplus food redistribution, making it ideal for resource-limited settings. The study emphasizes the need for government support, financial incentives, and public–private partnerships to facilitate AI adoption. Additionally, integrating AI-driven waste reduction with food security initiatives and sustainability projects can enhance their impact. Addressing economic and infrastructural challenges is crucial for maximizing AI’s potential in food waste management in developing economies. Full article

Food service is one of the major contributors to food waste globally. The Food Waste Index report has recently showed that the world generates about 1052 million tons of food waste per year, out of which 290 million tons come from food services. This study is focused on food service within the hospitality industry, which plays a significant role in generating food waste in the tourism sector. This study explores an innovative approach to the implementation of food donation systems through hospitality practitioners in tourist destinations for a sustainable future. By employing a blend of qualitative and quantitative research methods, this study analyzes the effectiveness of optimizing the redistribution of surplus food through the implementation of food donation systems through hospitality practitioners and focuses on identifying the existing challenges in the food donation system. This study identifies food waste as a global threat, and the results reveal that implementing various food donation systems can lead to a sustainable future. This study contributes solution strategies for various existing challenges in food donation systems. Full article

This systematic review critically examines the diverse applications of Blockchain technology in the food supply chain and identifies areas where its potential remains underutilized. By analysing 60 Blockchain-based frameworks, the study highlights the most frequently employed drivers such as transparency, traceability, and security within food supply chains. Additionally, underexplored applications such as food donation and redistribution, supply chain financing, animal welfare, food waste management, and data analysis are identified, revealing opportunities for further innovation. The research employed NVivo 14 to analyze the extent of Blockchain’s implementation in various food supply chain drivers, and the findings informed the development of a more diverse framework for Blockchain integration. Key insights demonstrate Blockchain’s transformative potential, particularly in enhancing data integrity, trust, and operational efficiency through its immutable ledger and smart contracts, which streamline transactions, cut administrative costs, and reduce fraud. In terms of sustainability and safety, Blockchain improves traceability, accelerates safety responses, promotes environmental sustainability by tracking resource usage, and enhances humanitarian efforts with transparent, efficient resource distribution. Additionally, Blockchain facilitates food waste reduction by optimizing inventory and distribution, while ensuring surplus food reaches those in need. The study concludes by offering a roadmap for future research, pointing toward untapped dimensions of Blockchain’s application in food traceability, sustainable supply chain management, and environmental & social impact. While the review provides a comprehensive understanding of Blockchain’s current usage in food supply chains, the scope is limited by the systematic review process and specific inclusion criteria. This study serves as a foundation for exploring Blockchain’s broader potential in shaping the future of food supply chains. Full article

In developed countries, large amounts of edible food are wasted at the household level, with significant negative environmental impacts. Therefore, reducing food waste is included in the UN Sustainable Development Goals. In different countries, several food-sharing initiatives have emerged to recover and redistribute surplus food. Recently, a Café concept was established offering such “rescued” food free of charge in publicly accessible locations, often complemented by beverages. Based on web research and semi-structured interviews, the current study analyzed the mission, vision, and activities of these Cafés and the main motivations of volunteers and employees. In addition to other food-sharing initiatives’ goals of raising public awareness about food waste, increasing the appreciation of food, and sharing surpluses, they seek to contribute to increased sustainability by educating citizens and sharing knowledge and skills to reduce household food waste. The Cafés also seek to offer inclusive community spaces and promote the values of solidarity and sustainability. Interviewees’ motivations match the Cafés’ missions, and many seek to achieve broader system change. Furthermore, they value the feeling of community and shared purpose through their engagement. The Cafés’ focus on education and skill building is likely to better serve the goal of reducing food waste than prior initiatives. Full article

Background: The majority of UK adults are failing to consume the recommended fibre intake levels. Whilst insufficient fibre intake is shown across the population as a whole, it is particularly deficient in low-income households. The cost-of-living crisis has further exacerbated the prevalence of food insecurity, with an increasing number of UK households becoming reliant on redistributed food to supplement their diets. The availability of fibre from this redistributed food is unknown. Objectives: To examine the quantities and sources of fibre available to food insecure households via surplus food redistribution. Methods: 12 months of food processed by a UK surplus food charity was examined to quantify the availability of fibre (grams per 2000 kcal) redistributed to food insecure populations in Leeds. These data were also examined to identify seasonal variation in fibre sources, food groups providing most fibre content, and to quantify the number of ‘sources of’ (SO) and ‘high in’ (HI) fibre foods as a proportion of total food items redistributed. Results: The recommended portion of 30g of fibre per 2000 calories was available for redistribution for 3 out of 12 months in 2022. However, this was due to the sporadic availability of specific individual high fibre snack items, rather than reflective of the balance of diet commonly available. Frequently received SO/HI fibre foods were not donated in large quantities, required complex cooking, or were not nutritionally balanced. There was no seasonal variation in fibre sources evident. Discussion: Redistribution of surplus food can provide critical support to food insecure households. The nutritional balance of this food is largely dependent on the types of foods available for redistribution, so fluctuations in fibre availability is expected. Whilst insufficient to meet the recommended 30g/day of fibre, the food available for redistribution was sufficient to meet and exceed the levels of fibre commonly consumed in the general population (~20 g/day). Insight into the quantity and types of fibre-rich foods available for redistribution can: (i) inform specific interventions (e.g., recipe ideas) to increase the consumption of these available foods, (ii) help identify which types and sources of fibre are not commonly available and should be prioritised. Full article

Background: The proportion of food waste in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, particularly in food service outlets, sends an important and urgent call for a holistic model to either prevent or at least properly manage this high level of food waste. This study draws on the European Union Waste Hierarchy Framework and the United States Environmental Protection Agency Food Recovery Framework to develop a holistic model to manage the high rate of food waste in Saudi food service outlets. Methods: This study adopted the Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research using one-to-one interviews with food service experts to explore the current and appropriate practices for food waste prevention. The in-depth interviews discussed the implementation of the 5Rs hierarchy, which includes reducing food surplus and waste at the source, redistributing food surplus to needy people, reusing food surplus/waste, recycling food waste, and recovering food waste benefits, i.e., bioenergy production. Results: The successful implementation of the 5Rs hierarchy depends on effective collaboration between the key stakeholders, i.e., policy makers, food industry administrators, non-governmental organizations, and customers. The effective management of the food supply chain is also vital to avoid food surplus and prevent waste in food service outlets. Additionally, sustainable production by staff and responsible consumption by consumers contribute effectively to the implementation of the 5Rs model, which contributes to the achievement of zero food waste and, ultimately, to sustainable development. Conclusions: This study provided a novel hierarchy model, which has five tiers, aiming to avoid food waste. The successful implementation of this model will lead to several significant positive impacts on the economy, community, and environment. Full article

Food waste is a serious issue around the world. One way to address this issue is distributing food surpluses through food-sharing platforms. There are a limited number of empirical studies investigating the drivers of using food surplus-sharing platforms, particularly in developing countries. This paper investigates the impacts and connections between environmental concern, perceived playfulness, social norms, food waste awareness, price consciousness, food neophobia, and purchase intention of food surplus through a food-sharing platform in Thailand. A sample of 284 Yindii users was analyzed by using exploratory factor analysis and multiple regression. Empirical results revealed environmental concern and perceived playfulness to be the primary constructs influencing consumers’ purchase intention toward food surplus. The results suggest that perceived playfulness is the most crucial determinant affecting purchase intention. Our results also indicated people who have obtained a higher education level and the low-income group show a higher purchase intention toward food surplus products. This research is the first attempt to study food surplus redistribution in Thailand. This study contributes to the literature and provides insights for practitioners with several implications. Full article

In Qatar, food security is a top research priority. The National Food Security Strategy (2018–2023) and the Qatar National Vision 2030 show evidence of policy support regarding food security. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (S.D.G.) 12.3 frames the basis of food waste reduction efforts. Our study aims to provide basic information for innovative mobile application development that addressed food insecurity and waste in Qatar. Furthermore, we discuss how such a technology and the proposed features align with the circular economy concept. The circular economy aims to prolong the useful life of materials and products to maximize resource value and reduce waste. In addition, we highlight the main potential benefits that various stakeholders in the Qatar economy could derive from the innovative surplus food recovery mobile application. The scope of this work is necessary given the diverse nature of the stakeholders involved in the surplus food recovery and redistribution industry. The innovation demonstrated significant solutions to many problems, and using them in the food sector could provide optimal solutions to manage/reduce food surplus waste and loss. The suggested platform differs from the existing food services application, as it closes the food circle and achieves the sustainable goals for a better environment and society for future generations. We conclude with suggestions concerning how public–private collaboration could help recover surplus food and reduce food loss. Full article

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have been identified as potential enablers for alternative forms of sharing surplus food to prevent food loss and waste. Food sharing platforms can also provide an entry point to the sustainability transition by encouraging its users to confront the systemic causes of unsustainable and inequitable food systems. The paper explores the opportunities and challenges of ICT-mediated food sharing platforms in Japan. A comparative case study of 10 food sharing platforms operating in Japan was drawn from a web content analysis and semi-structured interviews. A consumer-side analysis was conducted, based on a Japan-wide survey of 10,000 respondents, to understand consumers’ general attitudes towards ICT-mediated food sharing and identify key challenges and drivers for its expansion. This paper provides initial contributions to understanding the Japanese experience of ICT-mediated food sharing from both the supply and consumption sides. All investigated food sharing platforms embedded food waste reduction and sustainable objectives in their mission. However, a consumer-side survey suggests that participation in food sharing was mainly driven by price consciousness and convenience orientation. Distrust towards the safety of redistributed food and reluctance to engage in a sharing community were some of the main barriers identified to food sharing. Highlighting convergences and divergences between platforms and consumers was key to starting developing intervention designs towards expanding online food sharing and leading consumers’ behaviour change. Full article

Food waste is a major challenge for society as it causes economic, environmental and social problems. Many food-waste-reduction measures aim to prevent food waste at the source or by redistributing surplus food via donation. However, it would also be useful to evaluate surplus-food redistribution, where surplus food can be made available for human consumption by valorization (recycling). This paper evaluates food-waste-reduction measures, where surplus food is converted into processed food products for human consumption, which are then sold in a German retail store. The objective is to assess whether this kind of recycling of surplus food is effective in reducing food waste and how sustainable it is considering the economic, environmental and social impacts. The results of this pilot study show a total reduction of 19 kg of food waste within 17 weeks. Furthermore, all products were economically profitable, with a per product net revenue of sold upcycled products between EUR 0.42 and 0.70. The results of the environmental assessment varied from savings of 1.55 kg of CO₂ equivalents/kg of product to the addition of 1.88 kg of CO₂ equivalents/kg of product in product carbon footprint and the addition of between 0.42 and 0.70 mPt/kg of product in product environmental footprint. The social indicators could only be qualitatively described. The results, therefore, can only recommend this recycling option as an effective and efficient food-waste-reduction measure under optimal conditions. More research is needed to describe different recycling situations and to therefore improve the sustainability of the food supply chain. Full article

Food Loss and Waste (FLW) that entail substantial economic, environmental, and social cost is of great concern for a country fulfilling > 80% of food demands through the import of agricultural commodities. The current study mainly aimed at bringing together a wide range of perspectives on FLW by multi-stakeholder engagement in order to enhance cooperation and network building with respect to sharing knowledge and experiences on FLW prevention activities along the entire food supply chain for a country located at the geographic frontier facing stubborn challenges of desertification, water scarcity, and harsh climatic conditions. These challenges are not only being addressed at the national level but have also been made the focus of multilateral activities in 2020 as part of the Saudi G20 Presidency. The Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture under the umbrella of the G20 Meeting of Agricultural Chief Scientists (MACS) hosted a regional workshop on FLW in collaboration with the Thünen Institute, Germany, to raise awareness among Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. The present paper provides insights into the current status of FLW by revealing that, overall, 33.1% of the total available food in the Kingdom is lost and wasted during the entire food supply chain. Overall, the GCC countries witnessed higher percentages of food waste compared with food losses. Environmental conditions prevailing in the region necessitate the development of adequate and appropriate cold chain storage facilities for balanced distribution through cold storage transportation facilities along the food supply chain to minimize food losses. However, campaigns and activities to raise awareness with a view of changing attitudes towards reducing FLW by the adoption of good practices, promoting the concept of circular economy practices, and the establishment of food banks for surplus food redistribution are important to mitigate FLW in the Kingdom. Full article

Food waste is currently a major challenge for the world. It is the precursor to several socioeconomic problems that are plaguing modern society. To counter and to, simultaneously, stand by the undernourished, surplus food redistribution has surfaced as a viable solution. Information and Communications Technology (ICT)-mediated food redistribution is a highly scalable approach and it percolates into the lives of the masses far better. Even if ICT is not brought into the picture, the presence of food surplus redistribution in developing countries such as India is scarce and is limited to only a few of the major cities. The discussion of a surplus food redistribution framework under strategic settings is a less discussed topic around the globe. This paper aims to address a surplus food redistribution framework under strategic settings, thereby facilitating a smoother exchange of surplus food in the smart cities of developing countries and beyond. As ICT is seamlessly available in smart cities, the paper aims to focus the framework in these cities. However, this can be extended beyond the smart cities to places with greater human involvement. Full article

Food poverty and/or food insecurity have become a substantial problem in the advanced capitalist world, with growing portions of people struggling to eat healthy food every day. At the same time, just in the European Union (EU), around 88 million tonnes of food waste are generated annually. We call this paradox the “food paradox”. The question is, how to tackle food paradox? Food banks are usually presented as a win–win solution to tackle the food paradox, despite being quite controversial. Indeed, food banks are highly contested because, according to critics, they do not aim to address the structural causes, but rather they only intervene on the effects of the food paradox. This paper develops the PAHS conceptual framework, the acronym of prefiguration, autonomy, hybridization, and scalability, which provides the four categories through which to explore the transformative potential of food surplus redistribution initiatives. The PAHS is adopted to investigate the case study of Magazzini Sociali, a food bank project developed by IoPotentino, a not-for-profit organization operating in Potenza. The results show a good transformative potential of the organization and provide an example of social innovation that can be replicated in other contexts. Full article

In 2019, Sri Lanka introduced two policies that referred to food waste and the need to reduce it. To understand key stakeholders’ readiness in this context, this study analyzed the food waste perceptions of private and public sectors in Colombo (open markets, supermarkets, hotels, restaurants, canteens, food caterers and key authorities). Interviews were carried out with operational managers and public officials, as well as other stakeholders who have roles in food waste redistribution and reuse, such as NGOs and the livestock sector. So far, the food-waste-related policy recommendations lack an operational inter-institutional home which can build on measures, like standards, regulations and incentives. Thus, most food waste reduction initiatives are initiated by NGOs or by the private sector, e.g., by larger hotels and supermarket chains. These entities were ready to lead by example, based on the understanding that urban food waste is an internal (financial) management challenge. Among smaller local entities, food waste was perceived more as an external issue to be handled by the city’s waste collection services. Although perceptions varied between entities generating smaller or larger quantities of food waste, there was general agreement that suboptimal capacities and mechanisms to quantify, monitor and cost food waste generation appeared to be obstacles for in-depth awareness creation and action. There was significant interest in communication platforms for cross-sectoral learning, win/win collaborations with reliable collection (reuse) services that are currently operational, such as those provided by piggeries, as well as surplus redistribution initiatives if food safety and related liabilities can be addressed effectively. Full article

Redistribution of food surplus helps to prevent waste production and feed hungry people. But this has not been tested in the context of a wholesale market that redistributes fruit and vegetable surplus to homeless shelters. We aimed to compare the amount of fruit and vegetable waste between shelters that received or did not receive a surplus donation in Chile. We also explored possible causes that explained the waste. Five homeless shelters that received donations (HS+DON) and five that did not (HS) were included. For three days, fruit and vegetable waste was disposed into containers for direct quantification. The amount of waste was compared between groups using the Mann–Whitney U test, both in winter and spring. A questionnaire was applied to identify causes of waste. For vegetables, we found no difference in the median (25th percentile–75th percentile) waste of HS+DON vs. HS (winter: 152 (83–262) vs. 104 (63–163) g per person/day, p-value = 0.22; spring: 114 (61–229) vs. 63 (50–132) g per person/day, p-value = 0.41). HS had no fruit waste, thus, fruit waste was higher in HS+DON in both seasons (winter: 74 (16–134); spring: 13 (6–40) g per person/day). The main reasons explaining waste were excessive donation, looking badly, and smelling moldy. In conclusion, redistribution of fruit and vegetable surplus helped to reduce waste at the wholesale market and to feed homeless shelters’ beneficiaries with nutritious food. But efforts are still required to avoid excessive donation of surplus soon-to-be spoiled. We propose a tailored donation plan to reduce waste to the unavoidable one. Full article