Save

Consumers’ perceptions and behavior toward food waste across countries

In: International Food and Agribusiness Management Review
Authors:
Yan Heng Assistant Research Scientist, Food and Resource Economics Department, University of Florida, P.O. Box 110240, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.

Search for other papers by Yan Heng in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
and
Lisa House Professor and Chair, Food and Resource Economics Department, University of Florida, P.O. Box 110240, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.

Search for other papers by Lisa House in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
Open Access

Food waste has become a global issue that has received increased attention. Food waste at the household level is a major source of food loss in developed countries. While culture is an important factor shaping people’s behavior, comparison of food waste behaviors across countries and regions are still limited. This study uses primary data covering the US, Canada, the UK, and France to understand and compare consumers’ food waste behaviors. While we found some common drivers for food waste behavior appliable to all countries, such as age, eating away from home, and using expiration dates, we confirmed that consumers behave significantly different across countries. For example, personal factors such as employment status, household size, and environmental concerns are only found significant in certain countries. Similarly, while convenience-driven consumers tend to waste more across countries, only European consumers who are price and advertising conscious tend to increase their food waste frequency. Moreover, many well-known food waste prevention actions, such as making a shopping list, preserving and freezing food, and being willing to consume leftovers, only appear to work in certain countries.

Content Metrics

All Time Past 365 days Past 30 Days
Abstract Views 0 0 0
Full Text Views 1443 1079 136
PDF Views & Downloads 2099 1519 157