Environmental Concerns and Food Consumption: What Drives Consumers’ Actions to Reduce Food Waste?

Abstract

Consumer behavior and food consumption comprise the largest amount of waste in the food chain. This study aimed to identify the relationships among consumer environmental concerns, their awareness of food waste, demographics, and their food consumption. The findings suggest that food waste prevention is positively influenced by consumers' environmentally conscious buying, food waste awareness, bulk buying, frequency of home cooking, and age. Impulsive food purchasing, the frequency of eating out, and the number of people in the household negatively influence food waste prevention. Food policy makers and retailers should be involved in educating and encouraging consumers to minimize food waste.