Agri Warehouse Management System

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Food, water and energy are three fundamental areas of strategic importance that are closely interrelated for the survival of all living organisms and preserving a healthy ecosystem. Meeting the sustainable food needs and fighting hunger to ensure adequate, balanced and healthy nutrition for the increasing world population are among the top priorities of countries and international organizations. Food loss and waste are important problems globally. Food loss is defined as the decrease in the quantity and the quality of food as a result of the decisions and actions of food suppliers in the stages of the food production chain from primary production to distribution,whereas food waste refers to the decrease in the quantity and quality of food as a result of the decisions and actions of retailers, food service providers and consumers. Food loss and waste throughout the food supply chain begin at the field and farm stage in primary production and goes through a complex and multi-factorial process that includes storage, transportation, processing, packaging, retail and consumption stages. Food loss and waste vary greatly from country to country and even within the same country, depending on product type, geographical region and socio-economic factors. In high- and middle-income countries, food loss and waste occur mainly at the distribution and consumption stage, and in lowincome countries at the production and post-harvest stages. The global dimensions of food loss and waste are significant and cause environmental, social and economic risks and threats. Some 1,3 billion tons of food, approximately 1/3 of the total food produced worldwide, is lost and wasted annually. The economic loss caused by food loss and waste is approximately 1 trillion US dollars every year. Food loss and waste cause unnecessary use of 20-23% of the agricultural production area,24% of water consumption and 20-23% of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Food loss and waste cause 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions. About 38% of the total energy expenditure in the food supply chain is wasted through food loss and waste. Türkiye is one of the leading countries globally that waste the most food at the level of end consumer. According to the 2021 report of the United Nations Environment Program report, the United Nations Environment Program, 93 kilograms per person, a total of 7,7 million tons of food, is wasted every year at home, food service places and food vendors in Türkiye. Studies and policy targets reveal that approximately half of global food loss and waste can be prevented, and even if one quarter of it is prevented, the global hunger problem may be solved. In this context, reducing food loss and waste will make significant contributions to ensuring price stability by reducing production costs and fighting hunger, food security and healthy nutrition, sustainable environment and agriculture and food systems through mitigating climate change impacts, biodiversity protection, efficient use of agricultural lands and water resources. This chapter provides information on the global dimensions of food loss and waste and its social, economic and environmental impacts.

Globally, 1.3 billion tons of food are wasted or lost every year. This loss is valued at US $2.6 trillion and accounts for 8-10% of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). Food waste is a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions and results in a waste of natural resources. Therefore, reducing food waste can help diminish GHG emissions, improve food security, and promote healthy food systems. Packaging plays an important role in protecting food, enhancing quality and safety, and reducing food losses. Innovative and sustainable packaging strategies are necessary to decrease waste accumulation, particularly of plastics, safeguard food quality and safety, and reduce food losses and waste. Sustainable packaging aims to enhance the effectiveness of design and the use of environmentally friendly materials. This review provides an overview of the sustainable status of common packaging materials such as plastic, glass, metal, and paper/cardboard based on the circular economy, which includes recycling, reuse, composting, and bio-based packaging. The study examines new developments in food packaging materials in response to the growing demand for environmentally sustainable alternatives. Several applications from food companies and sustainable studies are discussed regarding continuous availability without impacting the environment. Ongoing research and technological advancements, such as material reduction, the development of innovative new materials like bio-plastics, and improvements in recycling, will contribute to increasing the acceptance of sustainable packaging. Definitions, requirements, limitations, legislation, and applications of sustainable packaging are explored. Sustainable packaging can stimulate economic growth and offer new opportunities for companies, notably by helping the environment and reducing the carbon footprint. However, the cost of sustainable packaging can still be challenging for small businesses. Determining whether consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable packaging is also crucial in this transition.

Romania’s agri-food system reveals a striking paradox, evolving from chronic scarcity and rationing under the communist regime to the present challenge of extensive food waste. This transformation has profound implications for sustainability, social equity, and the country’s transition toward a bioeconomy-based model. The study examines this paradox by identifying the historical, economic, and social determinants of food insecurity and waste in Romania,and by assessing bioeconomic measures to strengthen agri-food sustainability. Drawing on an integrative review of 68 academic, institutional, and legislative sources (2020–2025), the research applies comparative, historical, and policy analyses to evaluate Romania’s position within the European context. The results indicate that weak institutional coordination, fragmented legislation, inefficient resource use, and wasteful consumer behaviour have driven the shift from food crises to food waste. Although temporary price caps and the 2024 law on food waste reduction provided short-term relief, systemic issues—poor enforcement, limited infrastructure, and low circular bioeconomic integration—persist. With over 6,000 tons of food discarded daily, nearly half of which comes from households, Romania must enhance bioeconomic practices such as waste valorisation and organic farming. The study offers practical insights for policymakers by linking food waste reduction to innovation, thereby supporting the EU Green Deal and the Sustainable Development Goals 2, 10, and 12.

The world is at a critical moment in the fight against food loss and waste, with momentum building to address the 1.3 billion tons of food that is lost or wasted each year. But action is not yet at a pace needed to achieve SDG Target 12.3 by 2030. The report Reducing Food Loss and Waste: Setting a Global Action Agenda identifies a three-pronged approach to halve food loss and waste by 2030. The report calls on governments, companies, farmers, consumers, and everyone in between to: “Target-Measure-Act”: Set food loss and waste reduction targets, measure to identify hotspots of food loss and waste and monitor progress over time, and take action on the hotspots; pursue a short “to-do” list per player in the food supply chain as “no regret” first steps toward taking action; and collaborate on 10 “scaling interventions” to ramp up deployment of Target-Measure-Act and the to-do list. There are enormous benefits to reducing food loss and waste. Successfully halving food loss and waste would close the gap between food needed in 2050 and food available in 2010 by more than 20 percent. It would avoid the need to convert an area the size of Argentina into agricultural land. And it would lower greenhouse gas emissions by 1.5 gigatons per year by 2050, an amount more than the current energy- and industry- related emissions of Japan. This report has been produced by World Resources Institute with support from The Rockefeller Foundation, and in partnership with United Nations Environment, Natural Resources Defense Council, Iowa State University, The University of Maryland’s Ed Snider Center, The Consortium for Innovation in Postharvest Loss and Food Waste Reduction, Wageningen University and Research, the World Bank, and WRAP.

Food waste has been identified as one of the major factors that constitute numerous anthropogenic activities, especially in developing countries. There is a growing problem with food waste that affects every part of the waste management system, from collection to disposal; finding long-term solutions necessitates involving all participants in the food supply chain, from farmers and manufacturers to distributors and consumers. In addition to food waste management, maintaining food sustainability and security globally is crucial so that every individual, household, and nation can always get food. “End hunger, achieve food security and enhanced nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture” are among the main challenges of global sustainable development (SDG) goal 2. Therefore, sustainable food waste management technology is needed. Recent attention has been focused on global food loss and waste. One-third of food produced for human use is wasted every year. Source reduction (i.e., limiting food losses and waste) and contemporary treatment technologies appear to be the most promising strategy for converting food waste into safe, nutritious, value-added feed products and achieving sustainability. Food waste is also employed in industrial processes for the production of biofuels or biopolymers. Biofuels mitigate the detrimental effects of fossil fuels. Identifying crop-producing zones, bioenergy cultivars, and management practices will enhance the natural environment and sustainable biochemical process. Traditional food waste reduction strategies are ineffective in lowering GHG emissions and food waste treatment. The main contribution of this study is an inventory of the theoretical and practical methods of prevention and minimization of food waste and losses. It identifies the trade-offs for food safety, sustainability, and security. Moreover, it investigates the impact of COVID-19 on food waste behavior.

Influence and strategies for enhanced biohydrogen production from food waste

Globally, one-third of the food produced is wasted or underutilized which accounted for about 1.3 billion tonnes of food. If the food waste (FW) is disposed of in the landfill, it decomposes under the anaerobic condition that releases methane gas, a harmful greenhouse gas. FW is also referring as biodegradable materials where it has a higher moisture content that easily breakdown by the microbe and could produce odor problems. Thus, a study on FW generation rate and its characteristics were carried out. Physical and chemical characteristics of the FW which include the density, food waste composition, the generation rate, pH, moisture content, ash content, C/N ratio and the calorific value were determined based on the Malaysian Standard MS 2505:2012. Based on the field and laboratory work analysis, it was observed that the generation rate for the café A and B was between 0.04 kg/cap/day to 0.112 kg/cap/day and 0.01 kg/cap/day to 0.119 kg/cap/day. Meanwhile, the density of the FW was in the range between 0.035 kg/m3 to 0.077 kg/m3. Based on the standard method recommendation, 5 compositions were tabulated which include FW, plastic film, plastic rigid, paper and others (aluminum, steel and etc. ). Food waste demarcated was further divided into five categories such as rice, noodles, vegetable, shells and meat & bones. Rice and noodles produced the largest amount which was 52.50% and 55.52%. Moisture content and an ash content of the FW was recorded at 71.52% and 25.31% where it was slightly acidic (6.16) in nature. The calorific value for wet and dried FW was 4539.914 kcal/kg and 2091.3 kcal/kg. Based on the result obtained, the suitable method to treat food waste from the cafeteria was proposed.

Agriculture and food industries are the sources of survival for human lives. Globally, these sectors provide 24 million tons of food and are estimated to increase the production up to more than 10 billion by 2050. The exponentially growing population has put immense pressure to further increase Agricultural production. Unfortunately, in the overall process from farming to product utilization, huge quantities of waste are produced that increase around 7.5% annually. These wastes are mainly in the form of farm agricultural waste, industrial agricultural wastes, livestock (meat) production and processing wastes, fertilizers and on-farm medical wastes, horticultural and other chemical waste, packaging and manufacturing waste, kitchen waste etc. The improper management of these wastes causes various ecological hazards like increased soil and water contamination, air pollution, smog formation, increased greenhouse gases, damage to aquatic biomes, increased loads on landfills, etc. This creates both environmental deterioration and economic loss to the population. Open dumping of these wastes causes stinky odor on decomposition, attracts fleas and pests, forms leachates that flow and contaminate the soil and nearby water resources, causing serious health issues for humans. This problem increases further due to a lack of knowledge about the hazardous impacts of agricultural and kitchen wastes on the environment when they are disposed of in an unplanned and unprocessed manner. But these waste products have some crucial physiochemical and biological properties that make them cheap, feasible, economical, and eco-friendly materials for utilization in some industries like construction, energy and fuel, packaging, water purifying, skincare, fertilizer, etc. The purpose of this review study is to understand the effects of agricultural and kitchen waste on the surrounding environment. The review of prevailing and advanced techniques for proper utilization and management of this waste in other industries may help in spreading awareness for a better ecological and economically stable future of the earth.

This chapter discusses how innovative social entrepreneurs are changing the world by serving the destitute, feeding the hungry, and reducing the food waste footprint. A social entrepreneur is one who brings about a positive change in the society by implementing innovative ideas to fulfill vital social needs. After introducing the concept of Social Entrepreneurship, this chapter will chronicle exemplary mini vignettes/studies regarding innovative social entrepreneurs who are serving the destitute and sustaining the planet in innovative ways. While most of us only dream about changing the world in a positive manner, there are people who are already busy doing so. In recent years, global food waste has emerged as a far-reaching problem, with tremendous financial, ethical, and environmental costs. The food system is the largest user of natural resources and emitter of greenhouse gases. Despite using 34% of the land, consuming 69% of the water, and being the main cause of deforestation and loss of habitat, one-third of food produced globally is wasted; that is, 1.3 billion tons of food that is never eaten. When food waste decomposes in a landfill without oxygen, it produces a large amount of methane, which is approximately 20 times more harmful to the atmosphere than carbon dioxide. After discussing the horror of the negative impact of food waste on the environment, the chapter presents what strategies conscious social entrepreneurs have devised to combat this pervasive issue of global food waste.

In today's world, one third of global food production goes to waste, despite our failure to talk much about it in the broad context of sustainability. While we waste a cool $ trillion and 1.3 billion tons of food annually, enough to feed more than twice as many people as are hungry today (800 million), we seem too seldom to put this problem in the context of climate change, water availability, or land use, offer practical solutions or solutions that normal citizens can take on. This brief article attempts to outline the many sustainability challenges posed by food waste, from greenhouse gas (GHG) and PM2.5 emissions to water and land wastage. It also explores the wide range of “solutions” to the food waste problem, behavioral and engineered, explains their limits and offers the bio charring of food waste as a feasible, cost-effective, commoner-inclusive way of approaching the many aspects of the food waste problem, environmental, social and practical.

Food waste (FW) represents a significant social and environmental problem, with 1.3 billion tons of food wasted yearly worldwide. Even if consumers are increasingly aware of the phenomenon, it remains relevant, and understanding the behaviors of specific target audience segments appears instrumental to the planning of effective interventions. To this end, we designed an observational study to investigate, throughout an online questionnaire, FW-related habits of university students in a Southern Italian region. A representative sample of 431 students from the University of Catanzaro Magna Graecia completed an online survey aimed at investigate FW related behaviors. A descriptive analysis was performed on the whole cohort, and a formal statistical analysis was carried out after excluding responders who had not correctly followed the survey instructions (n = 85). Differences were assessed by chi square (χ 2) tests. A food wasting score was generated, and differences in the score values were analyzed by Student T-test. Linear and multiple regression analyses were performed to identify factors contributing to the score. Overall, the results of our survey show a high prevalence of virtuous behaviors in the food purchasing phase; while, at home, less than 50% of respondents apply easy-to-implement waste prevention rules. The statistical analysis showed that the major determinants of FW were: no direct involvement in grocery shopping and male gender. Indeed, even if we observed several significant differences comparing subgroups based on established or putative determinants of FW behaviors, none survived matching for group size, gender and relevant food managing (shopping, storing, cooking) habits. The only exception was the more appropriate handling of "use by" products by respondents who received structured nutrition teaching, as opposed to students whose academic courses do not include this subject (adjusted p = 0.008). Our data suggest that young adults are trying to implement strategies to reduce FW, even if there is room for improvement, particularly in the storage phase. Extending nutrition education to all university programs may be helpful in reaching this goal.

The influence of shelf life on food waste: A model-based approach by empirical market evidence

Conversion of food and kitchen waste to value-added products

This paper presents a novel, material method of replacing food waste with Post‐It notes inside domestic refrigerators to trace food as it is transformed in the home, both through regimes of value and physically out of the fridge to become food waste. Over 10 million tonnes of food are wasted every year in the UK, of which 60% is attributed to households, and more examination into the socio‐material factors of this waste is warranted. ‘Fridge maps’ were then sketched of the Post‐It notes inside the fridges, and these methods together investigate the spatial arrangements in which food items divest from being a valuable item to a waste material. Previous studies have found that visibility and access inside the fridge can mean food is hidden and forgotten in deep shelves and drawers, and this method interrogates how the materiality of the space itself can play a part in this waste. However, in placing Post‐It notes inside the fridge to represent ‘matter out of place’, Post‐It notes become ‘matter out of place’ themselves, and the paper reflects on how participants accommodated and resisted this method, and the consequent implications for the data collection. The method gave fruitful insight not only into the role of the fridge in household food waste, but what ‘waste’ means in different contexts, and contributes to debates around the lives and movements of things and acts of disposal in the home.