Summary
This systematic review of 8318 studies examined food waste reduction interventions in low-and-middle-income countries, classifying them by value chain stage and intervention mechanism. The authors identified a significant evidence gap: preventive interventions are studied only at early supply chain stages (production, storage, transportation) whilst mitigation strategies are examined solely at later stages (wholesale, consumption), with no integrated studies exploring combined approaches. The review also highlights a strong bias towards material-based solutions over knowledge-based or capacity-building interventions.
UK applicability
Whilst this review focuses on LMICs, the identified gaps in integrated prevention–mitigation strategies and the underexploration of knowledge-based interventions may be relevant to UK food system research and policy development. However, UK supply chain infrastructure, regulatory environment and development context differ substantially from LMICs, limiting direct transferability of findings.
Key measures
Classification of interventions by value chain stage, mechanism of action (prevention versus mitigation: recycle, reuse, remanufacture, repurpose, recover), and intervention type (material-based versus knowledge-based)
Outcomes reported
The systematic review classified food waste reduction interventions by value chain stage and mechanism of action (prevention versus mitigation), identifying gaps in study design and intervention typology. The review identified a disconnect between preventive interventions (studied at production, storage and transportation) and mitigative interventions (studied at wholesale and consumption), with no studies combining both approaches.
Topic tags
Dig deeper with Pulse AI.
Pulse AI has read the whole catalogue. Ask about this record, its theme, or how the findings apply to UK farming and policy — every answer cites the underlying studies.