Understanding food waste-reducing platforms: A mini-review

Abstract

Food waste is one of the main obstacles to transitioning to sustainable and circular food systems. Food waste-reducing platforms (FWRPs) have emerged as low-cost alternatives by donating or commercializing surpluses and non-commercial food. However, as a recent phenomenon, little is known about their actual contribution to the fight against food waste. This study aims to employ a systematic review of the literature to understand the main issues of FWRPs. Our results indicate that technology plays multiple roles in FWRPs: enabling the sharing of surpluses by connecting supply and demand, monitoring and generating data on waste, among others. However, technology is insufficient for food recovery. FWRPs’ business models must be aligned with the sustainability concept, encompassing environmental, economic and social benefits. Innovators must design and prototype solutions to address these various intended functions. This study points out many barriers to implementing these digital platforms, such as delivering multiple benefits for heterogeneous actors. Other barriers involve building trust and changing the behaviour of actors concerning their food habits. The scarcity of empirical studies has limited a better understanding of FWRPs and their actual ability to tackle food waste on a large scale. Despite the limitations found in the literature, digital platforms are an interesting solution to food waste management by promoting food waste prevention and reduction strategies at the source.