This article explores the integration of food ethics as a proposed fifth and emerging pillar of food security, complementing the four dimensions established by the FAO 1996 framework (availability, accessibility, utilization, and stability). Using Romania as a case study, the research combines descriptive statistical analysis, legislative review, and conceptual interpretation to examine how moral responsibility, social equity, and food citizenship shape sustainable food systems. Quantitative data from Eurostat (2020–2022) reveal that Romania generates over 3.4 million tons of food waste annually, with households accounting for more than half of the total. This wasted abundance coexists with persistent food insecurity, affecting 14.7% of the population who cannot afford a protein-based meal even once every second day. Given the short time series (n = 3), including the entire data that was reported to date and the exclusive use of secondary data, the statistical results are interpreted descriptively and, where applicable, exploratorily. In this context, the findings demonstrate that food waste is not merely an issue of economic inefficiency, but rather a profound ethical and social imbalance. This research argues for the conceptual recognition of an ethical pillar within the food security framework linking moral awareness, responsible consumption, and equitable access to food. By advancing food ethics as a normative and societal foundation of sustainable food systems, this article offers a framework relevant for policy design, civic engagement, and collective responsibility, reframing food security beyond a purely technical objective.

This article explores the integration of food ethics as a fifth, emerging pillar of food security, complementing the four dimensions established by FAO (availability, accessibility, utilization, and stability). Using Romania as a case study, the research combines statistical analysis, legislative review, and conceptual interpretation to examine how moral responsibility, social equity, and food citizenship leads to sustainable food systems. Quantitative data from Eurostat (2020–2022) reveal that Romania generates over 3.4 million tons of food waste annually, with households accounting for more than half of the total. This wasted abundance coexists with persistent food insecurity, affecting 14.7% of the population who cannot afford a protein-based meal even once every second day. The findings demonstrate that food waste is not merely an issue of economic inefficiency but a profound ethical and social imbalance. The research concludes the need to introduce an ethical pillar in the conceptual framework of food security, linking moral awareness, responsible consumption, and equitable access to food. By advancing food ethics as a normative foundation of sustainable food systems, the article offers a new paradigm for policy design, civic engagement, and collective responsibility, transforming food security from a technical objective into a moral commitment.