In the relentless pursuit of reducing global food waste, one of the most significant yet overlooked barriers lies in the complexity of defining and measuring what exactly constitutes “food waste.” While numerous frameworks have been established worldwide, many fall short by failing to incorporate the multifaceted and context-dependent nature of food waste. Traditional approaches tend to treat food waste as a simple, static category, often neglecting the nuanced interplay of cultural perspectives, temporal factors, situational contexts, and divergent stakeholder objectives. This simplification inevitably leads to inconsistencies in data collection, policy formulation, and ultimately, the effectiveness of waste reduction initiatives. A revolutionary approach now emerges from an unexpected quarter—the philosophical disciplines of analytic metaphysics and ontology—offering fresh semantic tools that bring precision and depth to how food waste is conceptualized and communicated.
Analytic metaphysics, a field dedicated to dissecting the fundamental nature of entities and their properties, provides a philosophical lens through which the intricate identity of food waste can be examined. Alongside analytic ontology, which focuses on the categorization and relationship between entities, these disciplines facilitate the construction of a robust semantic framework. This framework is not merely about defining food waste but about understanding its varying manifestations across different contexts and stakeholders. The crux of this approach lies in embracing substantive debates within metaphysics—especially the distinctions between substantivalism, adjectivalism, and adverbialism—which can illuminate different viewpoints on how food waste exists and how its characteristics should be interpreted when developing identification and measurement protocols.
Substantivalism, within the scope of this discourse, treats food waste as an independent entity with intrinsic properties. From this perspective, food waste is conceptualized as an object or substance that exists in its own right, possessing a stable identity regardless of external contexts. This view facilitates straightforward measurement and classification since it assumes the waste can be consistently identified and quantified. However, this approach may struggle to capture the fluid and context-dependent nature of food waste that varies according to usage patterns, cultural norms, and stakeholder intentions. For example, food considered waste in one cultural setting or time frame might be valued as a resource or ingredient elsewhere, thus challenging the notion of a fixed, inherent identity.
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Adjectivalism counters by reframing food waste as a property or state attributed to food items, contingent on how they are used or regarded. This lens shifts the focus from food waste as an independent object to the conditions and relations that confer the “waste” attribute. It implies that the status of food as waste is not intrinsic but derives from contextual factors such as timing, intention, or disposal method. Practically, this approach enhances flexibility in classification systems and permits greater sensitivity to situational variations, enabling more targeted interventions. Nonetheless, adjectivalism also introduces complexity, as it requires comprehensive semantic mapping and real-time contextual data, posing challenges to standardized measurement in large-scale reporting and policy development.
Adverbialism further deepens the semantic analysis by emphasizing how food is wasted rather than what it is. This position argues that the essence of food waste derives from the manner or context of its consumption or disposal—how actions related to food produce waste outcomes. Here, the focus shifts towards processes and behaviors, adding a dynamic dimension to conceptualizing food waste. This can critically inform the design of measurement tools that track not only quantities but the conditions and actions leading to waste. Incorporating adverbialism can illuminate overlooked causal pathways and behavioral patterns, thus enriching the data used to formulate prevention policies. However, this approach demands intricate and perhaps novel data collection methodologies that capture action-based nuances often absent from traditional frameworks.
Integrating these three philosophical positions into a cohesive framework offers a transformative way to capture the full spectrum of meanings and realities surrounding food waste. This comprehensive semantic model acknowledges the existence, qualities, and modes of wasting food, thus bridging previously fragmented conceptualizations. Practically, this means developing flexible, context-aware identification and measurement tools that cater to varied cultural settings, stakeholder goals, and temporal considerations without sacrificing clarity or comparability. Policymakers, researchers, and practitioners equipped with such semantic precision can produce more accurate reports, design better-targeted interventions, and foster global communication more effectively.
Implementing this philosophical-semantic framework presents methodological challenges that require interdisciplinary collaboration. It demands synthesizing insights from philosophy, linguistics, social sciences, and environmental studies to tailor analytic metaphysical concepts into operational tools. Advanced computational models capable of handling context-sensitive categorizations and semantic relationships become indispensable in this endeavor. Furthermore, embracing such sophistication calls for enhanced training and awareness among those involved in food waste measurement and reduction to move beyond simplistic, rigid definitions towards semantically rich and flexible understandings.
The potential impact of applying these analytic tools extends beyond academic enrichment; it promises substantive improvements in tackling the pervasive issue of food waste. Accurate and nuanced identification allows for more precise quantification, reducing variability and bias in data collection. This, in turn, underpins more effective policymaking at national and international levels, as decisions can be rooted in contextually relevant and semantically sound evidence. For example, food recovery programs can be better tailored to cultural perceptions of waste, minimizing unintended exclusions or inefficiencies. Likewise, supply chain interventions benefit from clarity on which food items constitute actual waste versus temporarily displaced goods pending consumption.
Moreover, communication between stakeholders—from farmers and retailers to consumers and regulators—stands to improve significantly. A shared semantic framework fosters common understanding while respecting contextual differences, thus minimizing misunderstandings that frequently arise from divergent definitions of waste. This common language can facilitate collaboration across sectors and borders, crucial for global efforts needed to achieve sustainability targets like those outlined by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 12.3, which aims to halve food waste by 2030.
The philosophical grounding also contributes to ethical dimensions of food-waste discussions. Understanding food waste not just as a quantifiable object but as a relational and context-dependent phenomenon invites reflection on human values, responsibilities, and social equity. It encourages stakeholders to consider whose losses are represented in waste figures and how cultural norms influence perceptions of value and disposal. Such reflections can lead to more inclusive policies that recognize and address systemic disparities in food access and waste generation.
Another compelling aspect is the framework’s adaptability to emerging challenges, such as technological innovation and shifting consumption patterns. As the food system evolves—incorporating alternative proteins, digital marketplaces, or climate-resilient crops—the meanings and manifestations of food waste will likewise transform. A semantic approach informed by analytic philosophy ensures that frameworks remain dynamically aligned with these changes, preventing obsolescence and facilitating ongoing refinement.
Critically, this approach invites a paradigm shift in food-waste science from solely empirical measurement toward a blend of conceptual clarity and practical applicability. It underscores the importance of interrogating foundational assumptions within environmental metrics and invites other domains facing similar definitional challenges, such as circular economy and resource efficiency, to consider analogous philosophical interventions.
In conclusion, the application of analytic metaphysics and ontology offers an innovative and much-needed pathway to unravel the complex nature of food waste. By examining food waste through the lenses of substantivalism, adjectivalism, and adverbialism, researchers can craft more nuanced, context-sensitive frameworks that enhance identification, measurement, policy formulation, and cross-sector communication. This conceptual sophistication aligns with the urgent necessity to reduce food waste globally, promising to make interventions smarter, data more reliable, and collaborations more fruitful. If broadly adopted, this philosophical-semantic framework could mark a turning point in the collective endeavor to build a sustainable, waste-conscious food system for the future.
Subject of Research:
Not explicitly detailed beyond the use of semantic and philosophical methods to improve food waste identification and measurement.
Article Title:
Semantic and philosophical approaches for advancing the identification and measurement of food waste
Article References:
Borghini, A., Piras, N. Semantic and philosophical approaches for advancing the identification and measurement of food waste.
Nat Food (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-025-01167-2
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