Collaborative approaches to reducing food loss and waste: a systematic literature review

Abstract

Food loss and waste (FLW) remains a critical sustainability challenge across food supply chains (FSC), affecting resource efficiency, food security, and environmental outcomes. Although collaboration is frequently invoked in proposed FLW solutions, its role has not been systematically synthesised. This study presents a systematic literature review (SLR) of how prior research has addressed collaboration in reducing FLW across FSC. Drawing on Scopus and Web of Science, the review covers 1247 English-language journal articles published between January 2011 and January 2026. Following PRISMA-based search and screening procedures, 245 studies were retained for analysis. The analysis integrates descriptive bibliometric profiling, keyword co-occurrence mapping, and thematic interpretation to identify the field’s principal research streams. The findings show that FLW research has expanded substantially, but collaboration has not yet developed as a consolidated analytical focus. Four interconnected research streams emerge from the reviewed studies: FLW reduction as part of a broader sustainability; circular economy and technology-enabled approaches as prominent solution streams; collaboration in supply chain governance through vertical, horizontal, internal, and public–private forms; and the role of wider stakeholder and policy support for system-level FLW management. The study contributes by clarifying the current structure of this literature and identifying research gaps that future research should address more explicitly.