Food waste is an academic concept and research field dedicated to understanding the generation, quantification, causes, and consequences of food and associated inedible parts discarded or lost across the entire food supply chain, from agricultural production to final consumption. As a field, it investigates the processes contributing to these losses, analyzes their significant environmental, economic, and social impacts, and seeks to develop strategies for prevention, reduction, redistribution, and sustainable management, highlighting critical issues of resource efficiency and global sustainability.