Editorial: Food Loss and Waste: Not All Food Waste Is Created Equal

By:
Namy Espinoza Orias, Christian John Reynolds, Alexi Sara Ernstoff, Ian Vázquez-Rowe, Karen Cooper, Rubén Aldaco
Date:
2024
Resource type:
Blogs/news/opinion
Link:

This editorial addresses the critical issue of food loss and waste (FLW), emphasizing its multifaceted impacts on climate change, food security, and sustainable consumption. It highlights systemic approaches to FLW, moving beyond traditional metrics of mass to include nutritional, environmental, social, and economic valuations. Contributions in this issue examine diverse perspectives, such as metabolic food waste, process inefficiencies, and household-level interventions, with examples like the Dutch “Eetmaatje Cup” for portion control. Other studies focus on farm-level inefficiencies, the potential of FLW valorization for biofuels and chemicals, and the integration of prevention and treatment actions within supply chains. The editorial calls for action in FLW reduction, promoting circular and bio-economy models for sustainable development. 
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