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Understanding food surplus: Challenges and strategies for reducing food waste - A mini-review

  • 0School of Chemistry, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Waste Management & Research : the Journal of the International Solid Wastes and Public Cleansing Association, Iswa +

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February 24, 2025

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February 24, 2025

View abstract on PubMed

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Food surplus definitions are unclear, leading to edible food being wasted. Preventing overproduction, not just redistributing surplus, is key to sustainable food systems.

Area Of Science

  • Food Systems Analysis
  • Sustainability Science
  • Waste Management

Background

  • Food waste is a significant barrier to sustainable food systems.
  • Existing research often overlooks the link between surplus production and waste generation.
  • Current waste reduction strategies prioritize redistribution over prevention.

Purpose Of The Study

  • To systematically review the concept of food surplus.
  • To understand the relationship between food surplus and food waste.
  • To identify challenges in food surplus redistribution.

Main Methods

  • Systematic literature review (SLR).

Main Results

  • The definition of food surplus lacks clarity, causing edible food to be inconsistently categorized.
  • Economic factors, rather than physical attributes, heavily influence the classification of food as surplus or waste.
  • Food redistribution faces technical and operational limitations, hindering effective recovery.

Conclusions

  • Preventive strategies targeting overproduction are essential to reduce food waste at its source.
  • Addressing the root cause of surplus formation requires systemic changes in food system operations.

Keywords: