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Open research questions in Food Waste Reduction and Sustainability

29 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 522 Food Waste Reduction and Sustainability papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.

What the literature leaves open

  • Future research could explore how different governance arrangements, intermediary actors, and community- based initiatives shape the relational integration of circular food systems across urban contexts. A key limitation identified in this research is the absence of a holistic governance framework that links production, consumption, and waste management into a coherent circular system.

    Advancing circularity in urban food systems: Exploring alternative food practices in Karşıyaka, İzmir · 2026 · DOI

  • environmental performance in hotel industry. Global Business Review, 21(3), 663–680. Zaman, A. U., & Lehmann, S. (2013). The zero waste index: A performance measurement tool for waste management systems in a “zero waste city.” Journal of Cleaner Production, 50, 123–132. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2012.11.041 Zhou, Y., Shan, Y., Guan, D., Liang, X., Cai, Y., Liu, J.,... & Yang, Z. (2020). Sharing tableware reduces waste generation, emissions and water consumption in China’s takeaway packaging waste dilemma. Nature Food, 1(9), 552–561.

    Zero Waste Management of Casual Dining Restaurants in Baguio City and La Trinidad Benguet: Basis for a Sustainable Waste Management Framework · 2026 · DOI

  • Figure 3: Respondents’ perceptions toward shared community composting 4 Significance of the Study This study is important because it contributes significant empirical findings on the generation and management of food waste from households, specifically in the Samdrup Jongkhar Dzongkhag of Bhutan, which has limited research. The findings of the study bridge an important gap in knowledge on waste management in Bhutan.

    Assessing Community-Based Strategies for Sustainable Kitchen Food Waste Management in Samdrup Jongkhar District, Bhutan · 2026 · DOI

  • Future research may focus on quantifying the economic feasibility of cold- chain investments, evaluating digital market integration for reducing marketing delays and assessing the role of institutional innovations such as farmer producer organisations in improving supply chain efficiency.

    Pre- and post-harvest losses in Nendran banana supply chain: Evidence from Southwest India · 2026 · DOI

  • By mapping the evolution, structure, and gaps in the literature in this field, we provide a strategic knowledge base to guide future research, inform evidence-based policy, and support practical interventions aimed at reducing food waste and advancing sustainable food systems in line with SDG 12.

    A bibliometric review of global research studies on food waste and management for sustainable food production and consumption published between 2000 and 2025 · 2026 · DOI

  • To address the gaps identified in the study and enhance community involvement in food waste reduction, a set of specific recommendations is presented. These suggestions are intended to improve awareness, foster trust, and ensure that Cravely effectively assists both residents and food businesses in minimizing food waste and reducing methane emissions. 1. Mobile Application Development. Develop a mobile app version of Cravely to increase accessibility for users who rely primarily on smartphones rather than desktop devices. 2. Build Trust and Safety. Ensure strict verification of sellers, display safety policies, and highlight food quality assurance to address liability concerns. 3. Gamification and Incentives. Expand the rankings feature by introducing rewards or incentives for top buyers and sellers to encourage greater participation and consistent food waste reduction practices. 4. Scalability and Expansion. Extend the platform beyond the initial study area to cover more districts and eventually the wider region, customizing features to local community needs. 5. Integrate Logistics Support. Explore partnerships with local couriers, community riders, or cooperative delivery systems to help sellers efficiently redistribute surplus food and expand buyer access. 6. AI and Smart Predictive Features. Investigate the integration of AI for features such as expiry prediction, food safety alerts, and demand forecasting. These innovations may improve platform efficiency and support smarter surplus management. By implementing these strategies, Cravely can evolve from a localized initiative into a cornerstone platform for sustainable consumption, empowering communities to minimize food waste, reduce environmental impact, and actively contribute to climate change mitigation.

    Cravely: An AI-Powered Food Waste Reduction Platform for Climate Change Mitigation and Sustainable Consumption · 2026 · DOI

  • org 8 Future work will focus on three primary enhancement areas: (1) integration of computer vision-based food International Journal of Science, Strategic Management and Technology Volume 02 Issue 05 May-2026 | ISSN: 3108-1762 (Online) | Impact Factor: 3.

    Smart Food Waste Rescue Hub Application: IOT-Enabled Platform for Surplus Food Redistribution · 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 paper calls for integration of environmental concerns into local solid waste management and tourism policies for Bukittinggi, but does not present baseline data on current policy implementation status, existing waste infrastructure capacity, or mechanisms for enforcing tiered, data-driven environmental regulations across heterogeneous tourism establishments.

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

  • While the analysis highlights that all hotel types including non-star hotels produce non-biodegradable and hazardous waste (batteries, etc.), the study does not provide a detailed inventory of hazardous waste composition or evaluate the effectiveness of specialized handling and segregation systems specifically designed for tourism-generated hazardous materials in resource-limited destinations.

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

  • The study identifies rice, meat, and fish as primary contributors to food loss and waste (FLW) and greenhouse gas emissions in Bukittinggi's food supply chain, but does not quantify the specific environmental impacts of implementing portion control interventions or modified food preparation techniques in hotel kitchens serving culinary tourists.

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

  • The research demonstrates that weekday patterns show differences in waste output by visitor profiles and service usage patterns, but lacks detailed visitor demographic data and behavioral analysis linking specific guest activities (meal frequencies, laundry service usage, recreational activities) to measured waste generation rates in tourism accommodations.

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

  • The study identifies that 4-star hotels unexpectedly emit more waste than 2- and 3-star hotels due to less effective organic waste management, but does not provide comparative analysis of the specific waste management protocols, segregation practices, or composting systems implemented across different hotel classifications in Bukittinggi.

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

  • These results extend the previous literature by (a) proposing novel intervening mechanisms to explain the understudied religiosity‐consumer behaviour relationship and (b) shedding light on the controversy regarding the additive versus moderating effect of PBC.

    Religiosity and food waste reduction intentions: A conceptual model · 2020 · DOI

  • The five challenges identified are: (i) measuring and monitoring FLW, (ii) assessing benefits and costs of FLW reduction and the tradeoffs involved, (iii) designing FLW-related policies and interventions under limited information, (iv) understanding how interactions between stages along food value chain and across countries affect outcomes of FLW reduction efforts, (v) preparing for income transitions and the shifting relative importance of losses and waste as economies develop.

    Reducing food loss and waste: Five challenges for policy and research · 2020 · DOI

  • Accordingly, the study outlines a future research agenda focused on scaling pilot and digital innovations, advancing emerging supply chain innovation models and addressing critical gaps in the literature.

    Supply Chain Innovations for Food Waste and Loss: Systematic Literature Review and Future Research Agenda · 2026 · DOI

  • To cover that gap in the research, this article situates socialist beverage containers and especially recyclable soft drink bottles made of glass in a wider discourse about the meaning of waste, discards, recycling, and material culture in socialism, particularly in Hungary.

    Trouble with the Bottle Beverage Containers and the Widening Waste Crisis in Socialist Hungary · 2024 · DOI

  • The benefits of theoretically informed programs have been verified in psychology, social science, and education, yet our understanding of theory application in food waste behaviour change is scarce.

    Theory application in food waste behaviour programs: a systematic literature review · 2022 · DOI

  • Although consumers perceive suboptimal produce negatively, little is known about how these perceptions are formed and indeed the socialisation process behind them.

    Normalising the “ugly” to reduce food waste: Exploring the socialisations that form appearance preferences for fresh fruits and vegetables · 2020 · DOI

  • A lot of attention is paid to food waste prevention in the industry, retail sector, and households, whereas the role of the food service sector (such as restaurants and canteens providing food in schools, hospitals, and workplaces) has thus far been understudied.

    Creating New Food Practices: A Case Study on Leftover Lunch Service · 2017 · DOI

  • Past research analyzing spillover effects has produced inconsistent results, which we argue is in part due to its assumption that social life consists of rational and autonomous individuals.

    Practice‐based spillover effects: Evidence from Calgary's municipal food and yard waste recycling pilot · 2017 · DOI

  • Since in some countries, glass, paper or cardboard recycling is not well established, it is another level of confusion how to get people think about waste sorting or organic waste.

    Legislation on Food Waste Prevention: Overview of Practices in Industrialized Countries · 2015 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Food Waste Reduction and Sustainability

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29 open questions have been extracted from the limitations and future-work passages of 522 Food Waste Reduction and Sustainability papers in our library. Each one below links back to the study that raised it, so you can read the original claim in context.

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