Promoting sustainable food production through waste reduction and valorization: a California case study

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.