Food waste management current practices and sustainable future approaches: a Saudi Arabian perspectives

Food waste management (FWM) has been a global issue that persistently challenges several developed and developing countries. Many socio-economic factors have been leading to generation of huge volume of food waste (FW) in Saudi Arabia (KSA). With no documented study which comprehensively addressed this issue, this paper presents the scenario of FW and its management in KSA. Currently, neither clear strategies nor policies relevant to FWM are established. Recent Saudi Food Bank initiative has been recording tremendous successes in FW source reduction, though more stakeholders’ efforts are required while government proactive support and policies are necessary to ensure prosperity of such types of initiatives are sustained. Lack of sufficient FW data as well as difficulties in capturing data for the entire KSA cities suggest that the global food sustainability index should be cautiously embraced despite its objectivity. Major challenges to FWM in KSA include solid waste segregation, inadequate legislations, well accepted traditional landfill disposal practices, public attitudes, lack of awareness as well as uncertainty of FW byproducts acceptability. Taking into cognizance the global trend of concept of circular economy with immense contributions of FW to prospective bio-refineries could be of paramount importance in achieving environmental sustainability as enshrined in KSA Vision-2030.