Sustainable and Circular Food Processing: Technologies, Systems, and Impacts

This Research Topic aims to encourage interdisciplinary dialogue and knowledge exchange, contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and a shift towards more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient food systems from household and small-scale operations to industrial food processing systems. Particular emphasis should be placed on the integration of renewable energy technologies, circular bioeconomy principles, and AI-aided tools to optimise resource use, reduce negative environmental impacts, and enhance food quality, safety, and nutritional value. These approaches could offer significant potential to improve process efficiency, optimise energy and water use, enhance bioconversion pathways, and support the valorisation of food and biogenic waste streams within a circular bioeconomy context. Food processing plays a pivotal role in determining the sustainability of agri-food systems, influencing energy and water demand, food losses, greenhouse gas emissions, and the generation of by-products and waste. As global food demand increases, coupled with climate change and resource scarcity, conventional processing systems are increasingly recognised as inefficient. However, sustainable food processing has emerged as a critical research area, focusing on resource-efficient technologies, waste minimisation, and the adoption of circular bioeconomy principles. Renewable energy technologies offer opportunities to decarbonise food processing operations and improve energy security. Additionally, the recent rapid growth of artificial intelligence (AI), has enabled new approaches for process monitoring, optimisation, and decision-making across food value chains. When combined, renewable energy integration and AI-driven tools can significantly enhance the efficiency, resilience, and sustainability of food processing systems, while supporting the valorisation of food and biogenic waste streams into value-added products. The goal of this Research Topic is to advance knowledge and innovation in sustainable food processing systems by integrating renewable energy and resource-efficient technologies and solutions, to prioritize practical achievement of the SDGs.This Research Topic focuses on interdisciplinary, systems-oriented, and application-driven research that advances sustainable, circular, and intelligent food processing across different scales (household, small-scale, and industrial). The scope encompasses technological, environmental, socio-economic, and policy dimensions of sustainable food processing, with particular attention to the integration of renewable energy, AI/digital technologies, and circular bioeconomy approaches. This special collection distinguishes itself from previously published topics within the section by emphasising sustainable food processing from a systems-based and interdisciplinary perspective. While many existing collections focus on individual processing technologies or specific food products, this topic seeks to integrate resource-efficient processing, waste valorisation, renewable energy integration, and emerging digital innovations such as artificial intelligence and advanced modelling techniques. By bringing together research that connects engineering solutions with sustainability outcomes, the collection highlights approaches that reduce environmental impacts while improving the efficiency and resilience of food processing systems. In doing so, it contributes to global efforts aimed at addressing food security, climate change, and sustainable resource management, aligning closely with international priorities such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production).Contributors are invited to address one or more of the following themes:1. Circular Bioeconomy and Waste Valorisation in Food Processing2. Renewable Energy Integration in Food Processing3. Resource Efficiency and the Water–Energy–Food (WEF) Nexus4. Environmental Assessment and Sustainability Metrics5. Low-Carbon and Climate-Resilient Food Processing6. AI, Digitalisation, and Smart Processing7. Socio-Economic, Policy, and Implementation AspectsWe welcome original research articles, reviews, mini-reviews, and perspectives that promote and advance scientific understanding, technological innovation, and policy relevance in sustainable food processing. Topic editors: Alaika Kassim, SUNNY SHARMA, Nomali Ngobese Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/78405/sustainable-and-circular-food-processing-technologies-systems-and-impacts