Saudi Zero Food Waste Certification: A Novel Approach for Food Waste Management in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Saudi Arabia (SA) is categorised as one of the nations with the highest food waste globally. However, this rate of food waste encompasses a high risk to the economy, society and environment. The government has prioritised food security and environmental sustainability in its Saudi Vision 2030; hence, the government has developed some initiatives for food waste reduction. However, these efforts have not achieved the desired outcomes, as there is no evidence that food waste was reduced after such initiatives. The current research reports the results of the first phase of a wider study on food waste management (FWM), which has undertaken a novel approach towards FWM in food service organisations in SA by integrating the perspectives of stakeholders: customers, managers and academics specialised in food management/service. The results of in-depth interviews with key stakeholders identified the main causes of food waste in food service organisations. The findings confirmed that causes of food waste are all associated with each other and linked to either the absence of strategic and legal frameworks, consumer behaviour or poor management of food chains in food service organisations. Solutions for effective FWM were discussed with key stakeholders. The research showed that there is a need for an integrated approach for FWM in each sector where food waste is apparent such as food service organisations. Hence, the Saudi Zero Food Waste Certification has been introduced as a novel approach for managing food waste in food service organisations.