Food Waste in Saudi Arabia: Causes, Consequences, and Combating Measures

Abstract

The enormous amounts of food going as waste to landfills is of great concern in Saudi Arabia. The issue of food waste is complex, with its numerous social, cultural, economic, and environmental sustainability dimensions warranting further investigations. Food waste is one of the prime issues threatening food security in Saudi Arabia. This article aims to gauge the real issue, to create awareness among those who waste large amounts of food, and to encourage planners and policy makers to implement corrective measures. This article aims to stimulate interest within the scientific community, seek support from different branches of Saudi Arabian government, and engage all major segments of society. A thorough search of the international scientific publications and the grey literature published in English and Arabic was made. It was discovered that the available literature is scarce, and tends to focus on finding knowledge about the problem rather than on generating solutions. Thus, further research should attempt to find ways to form strategies and to test new ideas and interventions that could reduce food waste, particularly in the hospitality sector and within households. Based on the analysis presented in this paper, the recommended course of action for Saudi Arabia is to launch an integrated “Stop Wasting Food” campaign that would include all stakeholders. Raising awareness about the detrimental consequences of food waste and encouraging behavioral changes to reduce this squandering of precious resources is the first step in addressing the issue. There is an urgent need to promote behavioral changes in Saudi Arabian society, particularly among prime food wasters: women and youth.

Excessive Food Buying in Saudi Arabia Amid COVID-19: Examining the Effects of Perceived Severity, Religiosity, Consumption Culture and Attitude toward Behavior

“…This food waste costs the KSA government 40 billion SR (Saudi Riyal) annually (about USD 11 billion) [ 5 ]. This is a challenge to the Saudi Vision 2030, food security, and sustainability in KSA [ 6 ]. This is especially true since KSA is not an ideal place for agricultural development due to limited arable land, tough weather, low rainfall, and water scarcity for agriculture [ 7 ].…”

“…Hence, KSA depends comprehensively on food imports to meet the needs of its people. Notwithstanding this, food waste in KSA is a major challenge [ 6 ]. Several causes were identified for this high rate of food waste in KSA, namely, economic prosperity, social events, and food consumption culture [ 6 ].…”

“…Notwithstanding this, food waste in KSA is a major challenge [ 6 ]. Several causes were identified for this high rate of food waste in KSA, namely, economic prosperity, social events, and food consumption culture [ 6 ]. A recent study, amid the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic, showed that excessive food-buying behavior is the major predictor of food waste in KSA [ 8 ].…”

“…It could lead to high food loss and waste [ 8 ]. Additionally, it becomes a threat to food security and sustainability in KSA [ 6 ].…”

“…Additionally, the study of Azazz and Elshaer [ 8 ] confirmed this assumption and found that social media has increased the effect of excessive food buying among Saudis during the pandemic, whereas religiosity has a negative association with this behavior. On the other hand, Baig et al [ 6 ] found that this excessive behavior, which led to high food waste, is part of the Saudi culture supplemented with economic prosperity. Other studies, e.g., [ 14 ], showed that the excessive buying behavior could be a result of pleasure seeking.…”