Waste & Circularity
Food loss & waste reduction
Around one-third of all food produced globally is lost or wasted: preventing those losses is the first step in any circular system.
Nutrient recycling
Returning manure and crop residues to soils to increase organic matter, close nutrient loops and reduce dependence on synthetic inputs.
Residues valorisation
From food market waste to processing by-products: turning what was discarded into feed, energy and new bioproducts.
Circularity is built into the foundations of bioeconomy. When organic waste is recovered, nutrients recycled and food losses reduced, bioeconomy generates more value from fewer inputs and reduces pressure on natural resources. Pollution prevention, waste upcycling, and residues valorisation across agrifood systems are at the core of FAO's bioeconomy principles, criteria and indicators.
FAO's work
FAO works with municipalities, agri-businesses and farming communities to prevent waste, recover nutrients and turn residues into resources. FAO also supports circular approaches in aquatic food systems, crop production, livestock management and urban planning, such as the valorisation of food waste into fertilizers and fish and poultry feed.
Related content
- Circular bioeconomy in Abidjan: from food waste to the fork
- The role of livestock in circular bioeconomy systems
- Aquatic food by-products valorisation — FAO e-learning Academy
- GLOBEFISH Insights: unlocking the promise of bioeconomy in aquatic food systems
- Food loss and waste: valorising waste while maintaining food safety
- Circular economy: waste-to-resource — FAO Land & Water
- Wastewater treatment and reuse in agriculture
- Technical Platform on the Measurement and Reduction of Food Loss and Waste (TPFLW)