Embracing Food Well-Being: Lessons from Chefs’ Caring Actions in the Fight Against Food Waste

Abstract

This research analyzes world-renowned chefs’ fight against food waste as a manifestation of care, and aims to contribute to the understanding of food well-being (FWB). A qualitative study was conducted to analyze a large set of data triangulated from multiple sources (online streaming platforms, books, newspapers, magazines, websites, and social media channels). The findings reveal that, in proclaiming their responsibility to act against food waste, chefs challenge a wasteful food culture by weaving a web of care targeted at both supporting and training consumers and other stakeholders in the food supply chain. In doing so, the chefs leverage their position in society and within the food supply chain to connect multiple stakeholders in order to form a mutually beneficial and positive relationship with food. The results contribute to the conceptualization of FWB by highlighting the relational and dynamic nature of care in the FWB model. The study has policy implications for fighting food waste and enhancing FWB.