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Open research questions in Food Waste Reduction and Sustainability

279 gap statements mined from Food Waste Reduction and Sustainability papers in our 7.9M-paper local library, which holds 1,585 papers on the topic — drawn mostly from each paper's own stated research gap, future-work, challenge and limitation notes, and its abstract. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one.

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What the literature leaves open

  • One challenge is the difficulty in manipulating self-control resources in an experimental setting. Another challenge is the need to consider the impact of time of day on self-control resources and message framing effects. The study also faced the challenge of measuring food discard behavior in a reliable and valid way.

    Message Framing and Self‐Control in Food Waste Reduction: Time of Day as a Situational Proxy for Self‐Control Resources · 2026 · DOI

  • The lack of comprehensive analysis of circular economy practices in the agricultural sectors of European and American countries. The need to assess the level of advancement in applying Circular Economy principles in the agricultural sectors of chosen European and American nations.

    Advancements and challenges of circular economy in agriculture: a comparative analysis between European and American countries · 2026 · DOI

  • The primary limitation of this study is the sample size (n = 180) and the reliance on a non-probability convenience sampling strategy. Logistical and financial constraints limited the study. The study did not serve as a statistically representative sample of the entire country.

    Structural and operational barriers to food waste mitigation across traditional fruit and vegetable retail profiles in Mexico · 2026 · DOI

  • Further research could investigate the effectiveness of targeted strategic interventions. Studies could examine the impact of food waste reduction on food security. Research could explore the differences in inventory turnover and business longevity among retail formats.

    Structural and operational barriers to food waste mitigation across traditional fruit and vegetable retail profiles in Mexico · 2026 · DOI

  • The lack of evidence on modifiable operational practices to reduce fruit and vegetable waste in wholesale markets. The need for predictive modeling to identify logistical and commercial practices that can predict waste levels in wholesale food markets.

    How can food waste be reduced in the supply chain? Evidence from predictive modeling in wholesale food markets · 2026 · DOI

  • Limited understanding of how consumer-level demand irregularities indirectly shape supply chain planning and inventory management strategies. Existing studies focus either on behavioural determinants of waste at the household level or on operational inefficiencies in food supply chains, addressing these areas independently.

    Leveraging Household Food Waste Consumer Behaviour to Optimise Logistics · 2025 · DOI

  • The paper identifies the need to curb the increase in food waste generation and promote the recycling of generated food waste. It highlights the challenges in optimizing biogas production and utilizing food waste for animal feed. The paper notes that the current waste management system in South Korea still has room for improvement.

    The Management of Food Waste Recycling for a Sustainable Future: A Case Study on South Korea · 2024 · DOI

  • Calculating the environmental impact of waste and by-product valorization remains a challenge. The food industry generates huge amounts of waste, which can have negative effects on the environment. The extraction process plays a crucial role in maximizing the value of plant sources.

    Upcycling of Food By-Products and Waste: Nonthermal Green Extractions and Life Cycle Assessment Approach · 2024 · DOI

  • The lack of knowledge about water waste reduction is a challenge that needs to be addressed. The high cost of installing water-saving technologies is a barrier to their adoption.

    Investigating Farmers’ Intentions to Reduce Water Waste through Water-Smart Farming Technologies · 2024 · DOI

  • There remains a dearth of comprehensive examinations regarding the global challenges associated with agri-food waste valorization. The majority of existing research introduces the application of smart technology in the agri-food sector, yet lacks a quantitative analysis.

    Assessing Agri-Food Waste Valorization Challenges and Solutions Considering Smart Technologies: An Integrated Fermatean Fuzzy Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Approach · 2024 · DOI

  • The relationship between technologies and efficiency and sustainability needs more clarity, particularly concerning critical control points in post-harvest activities. There is a lack of understanding of how digital technologies can contribute to improving efficiency and sustainability in grain post-harvest activities.

    Digital Technologies, Sustainability, and Efficiency in Grain Post-Harvest Activities: A Bibliometric Analysis · 2024 · DOI

  • The mechanisms shaping this tendency are largely unknown. Developing coherent policies to reduce food waste requires understanding how consumers are affected by cosmetic imperfections.

    Exploring the Impact of Visual Perception and Taste Experience on Consumers’ Acceptance of Suboptimal Fresh Produce · 2024 · DOI

  • The lack of effective food waste reduction strategies. The need for a digital tool to calculate the potential food waste reduction and environmental impact by extending the shelf life of foods.

    The Potential for Reducing Food Waste through Shelf-Life Extension: Actionable Insights from Data Digitization · 2024 · DOI

  • The lack of predictive models for overall postharvest losses. The need for effective waste management strategies in the postharvest chain. The importance of addressing the challenges of postharvest loss and waste, including the impact of climate change.

    Opportunities for Prediction Models to Reduce Food Loss and Waste in the Postharvest Chain of Horticultural Crops · 2024 · DOI

  • The presence of heavy metals in ENDS devices and their potential health effects are not well understood. The mechanisms of metal-induced carcinogenesis are not fully clarified.

    Toxicological Aspects Associated with Consumption from Electronic Nicotine Delivery System (ENDS): Focus on Heavy Metals Exposure and Cancer Risk · 2024 · DOI

  • Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are increasingly consumed worldwide, but their relationship with household food waste remains unclear.

    Ultra-processed food consumption is not associated with household food waste in Italian adults: a cross-sectional study · 2026 · DOI

  • Despite various message trials for waste reduction, the impact of incorporating religious appeals into general messages and their relation to hope remains underexplored due to the complexities of the food waste context.

    A Match Made in Heaven? Do Religious and General Appeals Instill Hope for Reduction of Food Waste · 2025 · DOI

  • The study highlights the need for more effective municipal waste management strategies.

    Tourism-Driven Waste and Greenhouse Gas Emissions: A Case Study of Hotels And Culinary Activities in Bukittinggi · 2026 · DOI

  • The study demonstrates that rice generates the highest waste during production and post-harvest handling stages, and that meat and fish waste produce varying GHG emissions across different supply chain phases, but lacks life cycle assessment (LCA) data comparing the environmental impact of sourcing local versus imported food ingredients for Bukittinggi's tourism culinary sector.

    Tourism-Driven Waste and Greenhouse Gas Emissions: A Case Study of Hotels And Culinary Activities in Bukittinggi · 2026 · DOI

  • The study has a limited sample size. The study only focuses on STEM students and academic staff in European Union countries.

    Green management as a tool supporting the sustainable development of the food value chain in agriculture · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a gap in awareness and integration of green competencies in education. The connection between transferable skills and environmental responsibility is not yet effectively communicated within STEM programs.

    Green management as a tool supporting the sustainable development of the food value chain in agriculture · 2026 · DOI

  • Investigate the effect of message framing on food waste reduction in different contexts. Examine the role of other factors that may influence food waste reduction, such as demographics and environmental concerns. Explore the use of other situational proxies for self-control resources.

    Message Framing and Self‐Control in Food Waste Reduction: Time of Day as a Situational Proxy for Self‐Control Resources · 2026 · DOI

  • Exploring innovative approaches to upcycling food by-products through nonthermal green extraction technologies and LCA - Investigating the potential of bioethanol production from sugar beet…

    Upcycling of Food By-Products and Waste: Nonthermal Green Extractions and Life Cycle Assessment Approach · 2024 · DOI

  • Development of prediction models for postharvest losses, - Investigation of the impact of climate change on postharvest losses, - Exploration of new technologies for reducing postharvest…

    Opportunities for Prediction Models to Reduce Food Loss and Waste in the Postharvest Chain of Horticultural Crops · 2024 · DOI

  • There is a lack of understanding about the behaviours and attitudes that contribute to food waste, - There is a need for updated research on household food waste…

    Don’t throw it out! How to cook using ingredients too good to waste · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Food Waste Reduction and Sustainability

Most recent work

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Open questions raised by papers listed on this page include: (1) The lack of comprehensive analysis of circular economy practices in the agricultural sectors of European and American countries (“Advancements and challenges of circular economy in agriculture: a comparative…”, 2026); (2) Further research could investigate the effectiveness of targeted strategic interventions (“Structural and operational barriers to food waste mitigation across traditional…”, 2026); (3) The lack of evidence on modifiable operational practices to reduce fruit and vegetable waste in wholesale markets (“How can food waste be reduced in the supply chain? Evidence from predictive…”, 2026); (4) Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are increasingly consumed worldwide, but their relationship with household food waste remains unclear (“Ultra-processed food consumption is not associated with household food waste in…”, 2026); (5) Despite various message trials for waste reduction, the impact of incorporating religious appeals into general messages and their relation to hope remains underexplored due to the complexities of the food waste context (“A Match Made in Heaven? Do Religious and General Appeals Instill Hope for…”, 2025). 279 gap statements have been mined from Food Waste Reduction and Sustainability papers in our 7.9M-paper local library, which holds 1,585 papers on the topic; the gaps come from whichever of those papers state one. They are mostly the research gaps the authors state and the papers' abstracts, plus future-work, limitations and challenges passages. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one, so you can read the original claim in context.

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