El Hassan Ajandouz, Marc Maresca, Dimitris Sarris, Henri Nouws, Viviane Robert
In the current context of accelerating global warming, it is urgent to speed up actions to adapt to this problem. About one third of agri-food products are lost or underused, thus contributing further and unnecessarily to greenhouse gas emissions. This is a narrative review, based on exhaustive analysis of the literature dealing with the mechanisms, incidence, and historical aspects of hidden hunger, as well as technical and operational tools to fight it. The review gives an overview of the current situation regarding micronutrient deficiencies, called hidden hunger, in five minerals (iron, calcium, zinc, iodine, and selenium), and two vitamins (A and D), as well as a picture of overall mitigation actions and outcomes. Then, it gives a picture of available solutions regarding the raw material and the tools and methodologies currently used for agri-food waste valorization, with a focus on aquatic foodstuffs. Finally, a proposal for the use of agri-food waste to fight hidden hunger, food insecurity, and beyond, is advanced.