The editorial discusses innovative and sustainable approaches for managing organic food and beverage waste within the framework of the circular bioeconomy and global sustainability goals. The article highlights the growing global food waste crisis, noting that food waste contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions while simultaneously representing a loss of embedded resources such as water, labor, and energy. In alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 12.3, the article emphasizes the urgent need for food waste prevention, redistribution, and valorization strategies. It reviews emerging technologies and practices including artificial intelligence-driven waste management systems, digital optimization tools, green extraction technologies, bioelectrochemical systems, anaerobic digestion, insect-based upcycling, and advanced material recovery from food processing residues. The editorial also explores the transformation of agricultural and slaughterhouse by-products into biocomposites, renewable biomaterials, and regenerative medicine applications. Additionally, it discusses operational and regulatory barriers limiting the large-scale implementation of sustainable waste valorization systems, including fragmented policies, technological costs, and lack of standardized frameworks. The article advocates for integrated, multidisciplinary, and technology-enabled solutions to reduce food waste, improve resource efficiency, and support low-carbon circular food systems globally.
Resource type:
Peer review