Food Waste Applications Beyond the West: Archetypes and Insights From China

ABSTRACT Food waste is a major challenge for sustainable development, but digital solutions designed to reduce it remain unevenly distributed globally. Food waste mobile applications (FWMAs) have emerged as promising tools for reducing food surpluses through redistribution and improved household food management. However, existing development and research efforts remain heavily concentrated in Europe and North America, leaving non‐Western contexts, where the majority of food waste occurs, underexplored. This study fills this gap with a two‐pronged analysis. First, we conduct a systematic review of the emerging FWMA landscape and conceptualize distinct archetypes based on business models, stakeholder configurations, value propositions and revenue logics. Second, we assess the applicability and commercial potential of these archetypes in China, a critical but understudied context characterized by rapid digitalization, strong government involvement and unique cultural and institutional conditions. Using governmental, commercial and cultural dimensions as an analytical lens, we assess which FWMA models are most likely to be developed at scale and generate social and environmental value in the Chinese context. Our findings reveal significant heterogeneity in FWMA design and demonstrate that inter‐company and waste‐to‐value models have the strongest short‐term potential in China, whereas NGO‐centric and purely donation‐based models face structural constraints. By linking sustainable business model archetypes to contextual market conditions, we advance the conceptual understanding of digital innovations in food waste and provide actionable insights for policymakers, entrepreneurs and researchers seeking to expand FWMA beyond Western markets.