Food waste valorization: guidance for integrating sustainable management strategies

Abstract

Food waste (FW) is a major global challenge with significant economic and environmental costs, yet its nutrient-rich composition also offers an opportunity for valorization into high-value biochemicals and biofuels within a circular bioeconomy. Effective FW management requires systematic frameworks that balance environmental performance, economic returns, and social acceptance, a challenge that is particularly difficult in developing countries where technical, financial, and participation barriers persist. This review proposes a strategic, step-by-step approach to enhance current FW management through the objective integration of biorefinery pathways producing biochemicals and biofuels products. Both biochemical and thermochemical conversion routes are evaluated against industrial yield benchmarks, market value, and end-use specifications to identify the products and processes most capable of enhancing sustainability. The review further presents a framework for multi-objective optimization (MOO) that simultaneously addresses economic, environmental, and social objectives, and for incorporating decision-maker preferences into the selection of optimum solutions. By coupling sustainability assessment with structured decision support, this review provides practical guidance for selecting FW management strategies that are economically viable, environmentally sound, and socially acceptable.