Globally, there has been a paradigm shift toward efficient food management, ensuring that the related objectives of zero hunger, reduced poverty, circular economy, and climate change are attained. The motivation to shift toward a zero-food-waste policy comes from the realization that a sustainable food supply is necessary to preserve resources, protect the environment, and reduce carbon and economic footprints. The move has led to the development of environment-friendly policies that ensure that food waste is minimized at all stages of the supply chain and the micro and macro levels. The gravity of the situation can be addressed because about one-third of the global food is suboptimally utilized, leading to its wastage that produces spillover effects of hunger, poverty, wealth disparity, and the deterioration of the natural flora and fauna. This study provides a critical review of the present situation of food waste across the globe, along with highlighting various drivers that lead to suboptimal food management, the integration of food waste with some important Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the technical advancements that can help in fostering an efficient food management system and the reduction of food waste. Along with the critical review, the study also provides a detailed analysis of the existing studies on food waste using bibliometric analysis of the 14,766 studies extracted from the SCOPUS database, which are then analyzed using biblioshiny. The analysis provides prominent authors, studies, institutions, countries, and keywords in food waste. The literature analysis helps lay down the future course of action and issues that require immediate action.