Food Futures – Reflections on the Engineering Theme Waste Management

Based on understanding that food poses one of the key challenges for future development in the coming decades, integrated research on the complex topic of food systems is recognized to be essential. Activities and concepts aiming to reduction of waste and losses of food are considered to be most promising options among possible measures to improve food security. Occurrence of losses and waste varies much in different regions, which highlights the necessity to study the topic by region, although the global perspective is essential. Initiatives for driving improvements have highest potential for success if they involve multi-stakeholder engagement under consideration of the existing food supply chains. Post-consumer waste is often the most visible food wastage proportion, and its reduction is often given priority by governments, NGOs and civil society especially in industrialized countries. Food losses along the whole supply chain are more difficult to quantify, and the research and development actors have responsibility to initiate advances towards sustainability along the whole chain.