ABSTRACT
Studies on food waste can roughly be grouped into three streams of research. The first looks into the structure and type of food loss and waste (what type of food is wasted, and where and to which extent in the supply chain?), while the second explores the causes of food waste and why it occurs (why food is wasted, and which factors and situations cause disposal?). The third experiments and evaluates potential solutions and current initiatives (how can food waste be prevented or the problem solved?). The sustainability challenge requires radical shifts in the production and consumption system, an upscaling of current measures, and an internationalisation of efforts to focus on food loss and waste in emerging economies. As the field of food waste studies grows, future food waste research should focus on testing and evaluating the efficacy of diverse solutions. In addition, emerging and BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) should be studied to a greater extent with a focus on exploring the potential for new collaborations based on multidisciplinarity and including multicultural perspectives.
