Promoting sustainable food production through waste reduction and valorization: a California case study
L. Afsah‐Hejri, Mohammadmehdi Maharlooei, Reza Ehsani, Roya Maboudian
Abstract
Food waste poses significant challenges to global food security, environmental sustainability, and resource efficiency. This study examines waste in California’s specialty crops (tree nuts and fruits) across pre-harvest, harvest, and post-harvest stages, highlighting issues like overproduction, natural disasters, pests, labor costs, and poor handling. Solutions include good agricultural practices, good handling practices, hazard analysis and critical control points, green technologies, and resource recovery. A bio-circular economy approach is proposed, focusing on waste valorization and education to build sustainable food systems.
Topics & Concepts
Food wasteProduction (economics)Reduction (mathematics)Environmental scienceSustainable productionFood processingWaste managementNatural resource economicsEngineeringEconomicsFood scienceChemistryMathematicsGeometryMacroeconomicsFood Waste Reduction and SustainabilityUrban Agriculture and SustainabilityOrganic Food and Agriculture