**1. Introduction**

The organic waste generated during different unit operation from various sources including commercial and domestic kitchens, food processing plants, restaurants and cafeterias. According to FAO [1], in the food supply chain approximately 1.3 billion tonnes of vegetables, meat, fruits bakery, dairy and other food products are lost [2]. In Asian countries nearly every year amount of food waste (FW) could rise from 278 to 416 million tonnes from 2005 to 2025.

Kitchen and yard waste are the primary source of municipal solid waste (MSW). This waste can be further utilized for converting into useful products/energy generation at very low-cost rather than dumping and landfilling [3].

The process may attribute towards environmental and economic factors, such as capacity of municipal landfill; price associated with transportation of waste materials and landfilling; rules and regulation adoption for environment protection; less utilization of commercial fertilizers; more recycling of household waste and quality improvement of compost products [4]. Composting FW reduces the waste volume, kills pathogens, decreases weed germination in agricultural fields, and destroys malodorous compounds [5]. In concept of agriculture (organic), organic-grade agricultural waste compost gaining popularity due of its advantage on physical, biological, and chemical soil properties of soil [6]. Various food industries produced a large number of by-products or wastes which cause a serious disposable problem with the environment. Approximately 1.3 billion tonnes of food per year [7] for human consumption is lost or wasted globally. As the food production is resource-intensive, food wastes and losses are indirectly accompanied by impacts

of environment, such as erosion of soil, deforestation, air and water pollution, as well as greenhouse gas emissions that occur in the processes of food production, storage, transportation, and waste management [8]. Domestic households generate the largest food-waste faction in the food supply chain [9]. As the food waste amount occurring high on the household level, in the food supply chain at the final stages, prevention must be taken at utmost importance to help prevent further climate change for food waste [10]. Recognition of appropriate management of waste has been implemented as essential prerequisite for sustainable development [11]. Historically, in the context of urban, removing potentially harmful substances or materials away from human settlements was the main focus of public waste management [12]. Increase in waste generation due to environmental, social and financial implications of unsustainable use of raw materials in the short and long term [13] waste management began to shift from a mere pollution prevention and control exercise, towards a more holistic approach.

This chapter presents the reasons for consumer food waste in a systematic, causes, replicable, systematic and transparent way. In this chapter it is reviewed and analyzed the observation collected from different studies which is carried out on the factors promoting or impending on consumer food waste. Food waste is generated when the unprocessed food is converted to suitable form for the human consumption, during the period of conversion of food it may lost, contaminated, discharged and degraded leading to the production of food waste. Nowadays waste management and its control are a great challenge from collection point to disposal unit and identifying of sustainable approach to solve the problem of waste management caused by the agricultural and industrial sectors, food supply chains and as well as retailers and final consumers. Some useful products for industrial purposes like biofuels or biopolymers are produced from the food waste. Fixation of carbon by composting and nutrients recovery can also be achieved and the final left out waste should be used as minimum desirable options for incineration and landfilling. The chapter reviews to provide an overview on food waste definitions, generation and reduction strategies, and conversion technologies emerging.

#### **2. Food waste and agro by-products**

Food wastes are usually organic residues produced by the processing of raw materials into food. Waste is characterized as a product that do not add value to a product whereas by-product is a secondary product obtained as a result of manufacturing of the main product, often with a market value. Many by-products require further processing before sale [14].

So, the wastes could be considered valuable by-product if appropriate technical means are available to generate value which exceeds the cost of reprocessing. Residues in this case cannot be considered as wastes but becomes a product of higher value. Utilization of food processing residues offer potential of converting these by-products to beneficial uses [15].

#### **3. Agro by-products**

Agro by-products or agro residues are mainly obtained from agricultural production, harvesting, and processing in farm areas and from agricultural processing industries such as oilseed extraction, brewery, malt production, cereal grain milling, fruit and vegetable processing. These by-products hold tremendous potential

**17**

*Food Waste and Agro By-Products: A Step towards Food Sustainability*

ing of by-products are generally based on their type [16].

source of protein supply for animal feed and can also be converted to biofuels,

nourishment. These by-products are of various types and can be classified into different groups, such as by-products from fruit and vegetable processing industry, crop waste and residue, by-products from sugar, starch and confectionary industry, by-products from distilleries and breweries, by-products from grain and legume milling industry, and oil industry. The handling and technologies used for process-

The agro by-products derived from various crops play a significant role in animal

Adding value to agricultural by-product makes it more desirable and enhances their economic value. Crop residue or agro by-products usually represent relatively high amounts of cellulosic material that could be returned to the soil for its future enrichment in carbon and nutrients or could be made available for further conversion to biofuels, bioenergy and other products. Such agricultural by-products can play an important role in triggering the transition of sustainable energy. There are many economic benefits that can be obtained through value-addition to agricultural by-products. These benefits include enhancing the resource use efficiency of agricultural production, increasing farm incomes and reducing the costs of production and thus increasing the profitability of farming, producing novel products, creating jobs, minimizing the disposal of the by-products into the environment to ensure

Earlier these agro residues were treated as waste by agriculturists and used to disposed into the surrounding environment causing pollution. However, they realized the significance of these by-products and the invulnerable costs of animal feed and fertilizers, and harmful impact to the environment and started to utilize it as animal feed. The use of crop residues is a good way of discarding materials that could otherwise be a potential health and environmental hazard. Agro by-products plays an important role in improving the nutritional status of various forms of rations and feeds of livestock as these by-products contain numerous amounts of macro and micro nutrients that are necessary for body growth and productivity [18]. There are several ways of utilizing agricultural by-products as feed for livestock, a source of fuel, and as inputs into agricultural production and rural industries [17]. The increased utilization of agricultural by-products can provide a sustainable basis for small and medium industries in a rural area and stimulate rural economic development. Harnessing crop residues as manure and bio-fertilizers, and as raw materials for producing energy and consumer products, can expand the profitability of agricultural enterprises, improve the quality of the environment and

bioenergy and other products in a way that produces economic value.

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.96177*

**3.2 Value addition of agro by-products**

improvement in environment quality [17].

**3.3 Utilization of agro by-products**

enhance energy security [19].

**4. The global food supply chain: food losses and waste**

The global food waste challenge concerns about over escalating emissions of Green House Gas and other impacts of environment associated with food waste [20],

**3.1 Types of agro by-products**

source of protein supply for animal feed and can also be converted to biofuels, bioenergy and other products in a way that produces economic value.
