Circular horticulture: Post-harvest management, value-addition and zero-waste strategies

¹ College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, AgroBioSciences Department, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, Ben Guerir 43150, Morocco
² Laboratory of Microbial Biotechnology and Bioactive Molecules, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, Fez, Morocco

^* Correspondence: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Abstract

Horticulture faces a dual challenge: post-harvest losses (PHL) accounting for up to 45% of global fresh produce output, and the systematic underutilisation of biomass residues generated throughout the value chain. This mini-review integrates current evidence across three interconnected pillars of sustainable horticultural systems. First, the metabolic and biochemical mechanisms underpinning post-harvest deterioration including respiration, ethylene-mediated ripening, cell-wall disassembly, and microbial proliferation are examined alongside the technologies designed to suppress them, encompassing cold-chain engineering, modified and controlled atmosphere storage, edible nanocomposite coatings, composite and active packaging, and non-thermal elicitation methods including cold plasma, 1-MCP treatment, and CRISPR-based cultivar improvement. Second, value-addition pathways are surveyed, covering green extraction platforms, nanoencapsulation of bioactives, functional food ingredient development, and conversion of horticultural residues into bio-based polymers and bioenergy through anaerobic digestion and pyrolysis. Third, zero-waste frameworks are assessed through the lens of the biorefinery paradigm, industrial symbiosis networks, and digital enablers including IoT sensors, hyperspectral imaging, and AI-driven supply-chain optimisation. Life-cycle and techno-economic evidence consistently demonstrates that integrating these three pillars delivers positive economic returns, reduced environmental burdens and improved resource efficiency relative to linear disposal models, across tomato, citrus, greenhouse and food manufacturing waste streams. Persistent barriers smallholder infrastructure deficits, regulatory fragmentation, and knowledge gaps in nanoencapsulate safety define the priority research agenda for fully circular horticultural systems.