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Closing the Loop: Exploring Food Waste Management in the Near East and North Africa (NENA) Region during the COVID-19 Pandemic

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Listed:
  • Chedli Baya Chatti

    (Department of Social Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, Qatar University, Doha 2713, Qatar)

  • Tarek Ben Hassen

    (Program of Policy, Planning, and Development, Department of International Affairs, College of Arts and Sciences, Qatar University, Doha 2713, Qatar)

  • Hamid El Bilali

    (International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM-Bari), Valenzano, 70010 Bari, Italy)

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted global food waste patterns through unanticipated shifts in composition and quantities. This review explores the impacts of COVID-19 on food waste generation and management approaches in the Near East and North Africa (NENA) region during the recovery phase. This paper comprehensively explores food loss and waste in the NENA region. It presents a detailed analysis of pandemic-induced changes in household food waste behaviors, analyses the integration of circular economy principles in recovery strategies and policy implications, and outlines potential avenues for future research in this critical area. The key findings are threefold: First, this study reaffirms that food waste is a critical challenge in NENA, contributing to food insecurity, water scarcity, and environmental issues. Second, the pandemic catalyzed a dichotomy in consumer behaviors—panic buying initially increased waste, while hardship measures later encouraged sustainable waste reduction practices like meal planning and leftover use. Third, adopting a circular economy approach holds potential, yet its implementation remains limited in terms of curbing food waste and promoting sustainability in NENA. Overall, while the pandemic accentuated the urgency of tackling food waste, it also stimulated innovative policy thinking and strategic planning for building more resilient food systems. This paper concludes that leveraging pandemic-driven sustainability mindsets while addressing systemic drivers of waste will be key to mitigating food waste and its impacts moving forward. This paper offers timely insights into the evolving food waste management landscape in NENA, underscoring the need for integrated policies to navigate post-pandemic recovery effectively.

Suggested Citation

  • Chedli Baya Chatti & Tarek Ben Hassen & Hamid El Bilali, 2024. "Closing the Loop: Exploring Food Waste Management in the Near East and North Africa (NENA) Region during the COVID-19 Pandemic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(9), pages 1-18, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:9:p:3772-:d:1386637
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Wesseler Justus, 2020. "Storage Policies: Stockpiling Versus Immediate Release," Journal of Agricultural & Food Industrial Organization, De Gruyter, vol. 18(1), pages 1-9, January.
    2. Mohamad G. Abiad & Lokman I. Meho, 2018. "Food loss and food waste research in the Arab world: a systematic review," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 10(2), pages 311-322, April.
    3. Korhonen, Jouni & Honkasalo, Antero & Seppälä, Jyri, 2018. "Circular Economy: The Concept and its Limitations," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 143(C), pages 37-46.
    4. Tarek Ben Hassen & Hamid El Bilali & Mohammad S. Allahyari & Laurence Charbel, 2021. "Food shopping, preparation and consumption practices in times of COVID-19: case of Lebanon," Journal of Agribusiness in Developing and Emerging Economies, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 12(2), pages 281-303, June.
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