Optimizing Food Resources: Empowering Households Through Effective Food Management for Enhanced Food Security

Abstract The issue of food waste is being widely discussed in national and international forums and its relationship to healthy diets and environmental impacts with implications for food security and hunger. Data shows that the average household consumer throws away nearly 1 kg/day. Reducing food waste has significant direct economic and nutritional impacts at the household level. Food management behaviors that need to be improved to reduce FW include making nutrition plans, making grocery lists, proper storage, proper processing, and optimal food consumption (zero waste). This research explores strategies to empower households through food resource optimization. The method used in the research is literature review. Based on a search through PubMed using the keywords food waste food security household, 104 articles were obtained and 6 articles were then selected for further research. The results show that food wastage tends to occur in households experiencing food insecurity because the expenditure of poor households is mostly aimed at buying staple foods. Socioeconomic status is still the main key to high food insecurity, so redistributing leftover food to those in need can certainly improve food security for people with low socioeconomic status. Actions that need to be taken by households to reduce food waste include food waste management.