Global Food Waste Challenge (SDG 12): A VR Cooking and Food Management Application

Abstract The increasing global issue of food waste presents significant environmental, economic, and social challenges, di rectly impacting Sustainable Development Goal 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production). This work presents an enhanced Virtual Reality (VR)-based interactive application titled “Global Food Waste Challenge,” designed using Android Studio with Kotlin to promote responsible food consumption through immersive experiential learning. Unlike traditional systems, the proposed application integrates gyroscope-based XR navigation, gaze-driven interaction, and a dynamic UI rendering system to simulate a realistic kitchen environment. Users interact with virtual elements such as fridge and cabinet using motion-based controls, input food quantities, and receive real-time feedback on waste, shortage, and optimal usage based on computational logic. Additionally, the system introduces a food donation module, simulating real-world NGO interaction and incorporating animation-based visualization to enhance emotional engagement. A storytelling layer further reinforces awareness through humanitarian visuals and structured learning content. Experimental evaluation demonstrates 100% computational accuracy, high interaction reliability (∼95%), and improved user engagement compared to static systems reported in prior studies. The application provides an immersive, behavior driven educational platform aligned with SDG 12.