# A Perspective on Emerging Inter-Disciplinary Solutions for the Sustainable Management of Food Waste
## 1 Introduction  
According to the Food Waste Index Report 2021 published by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), approximately 17% of the world's food production is lost or thrown away [1]. Almost 61% of this loss occurs in private households, 26% in food service establishments, and 13% in retail businesses. In most cases, food is discarded due to various errors made within the food supply chain [2], threatening food security by affecting food availability and costs. The food supply chain comprises the following elements: agriculture, post-harvest management, processing, distribution/retail/service,and consumer consumption [3]. More food losses occur in developing countries during the production and post-harvest steps than in developed ones. In contrast, a more significant proportion is wasted in developed countries' distribution and consumption stages [4]. As a result, the food waste reduction plans in developed countries primarily promote better retail management and food consumption behaviour, among other factors responsible for food waste [5]. In the context of a sustainable economy, the issue of food waste is fundamental; hence the Sustainable Development Goal Target 12.3 aims to significantly (+50%) reduce global per capita food waste by 2030. Indeed, food waste reduction is a crucial element of a sustainable food economy (along with several others, e.g., aerobic and anaerobic digestion) seeking to address the challenges of waste management and circular economy around the globe [6; 7; 8]. In the context of a circular economy in the food waste treatment sector, the recovery and reuse of resources are fundamental in reducing waste and improving energy efficiency [9]. Moreover, composting and anaerobic digestion are prioritized in the circular economy principles [10] and the waste management hierarchy [11] above alternative waste management methods such as incineration and landfilling [12]. When waste is disposed of or recycled safely, ethically, and responsibly, this helps reduce its negative impacts on the environment. Traditional landfills have been broadly utilized for waste disposal, despite the adverse environmental repercussions they have caused, including contamination of the air, leachate generation and methane emissions [13]. When waste is burned at high temperatures, the chemical composition is changed via thermal conversion [14]. However, maintaining thermal conversion technologies, such as gasification and pyrolysis [15], may be challenging due to their complexity and affordability [14]. [PERSON] et al. [16] acknowledge that recuperating renewable energy via biogas using anaerobic digestion while simultaneously decreasing biodegradable waste from industrial, municipal, and agricultural operations is a highly efficient waste management solution. Indeed, aerobic digestion (composting) of food waste by microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi in the presence of oxygen has been a common approach of biological food waste treatment [17]. However, protein-rich organic wastes (such as meat, fish, etc.) and prepared foods make digestion challenging [18]. Although composting improves the soil structure and equilibrium [19], the nuisance nature of the composting process is usually problematic to the surrounding inhabitants. Due to its economic and environmental benefits, such as the generation of renewable energy, the recycling of nutrients, and the decrease in waste volumes, the anaerobic digestion of food waste has become increasingly used [20]. As a result, most developed countries are becoming environmentally mindful by discontinuing food waste transfer to landfills and air pollution-associated treatments such as incineration or gasification [21]. Despite this, there is a pressing need for more exploration into the development of anaerobic digesesters to improve the overall effectiveness of the methane gas generation process [22].