Summary
Food waste is one of the fastest growing sustainability challenges, wasting scarce resources and aggravating environmental degradation. Its valorization into organic fertilizers provides a critical opportunity to recover nutrients, reduce landfill burdens, and strengthen circular bioeconomy strategies. This review critically examines FW-derived organic fertilizers (FWOFs) across four major conversion routes including composting, vermicomposting, anaerobic digestion, and pyrolysis and also evaluates their impacts on soil health, nutrient cycling, crop yield and quality, and environmental trade-offs. We emphasize that while FWOFs offer multiple benefits, outcomes remain highly variable due to heterogeneity in feedstocks, processing methods, and application practices. Evidence highlights the
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