Needs of Sustainable Food Consumption in the Pandemic Era: First Results of Case Study

Abstract

The current food system is directly associated with food insecurity, malnutrition, food waste, and environmental impacts. The international community has been working on sustainability, and the enhancement of sustainable food consumption is a fundamental step for identifying possible strategies to limit the negative consequences derived from the health emergency of the COVID-19 pandemic. This work aims to understand the food consumption patterns of the Sapienza University community. The methodology adopted for the research activity has been developed while taking into account the theoretical reflections and the tested methodologies acquired in relation to the subject matter. The survey was based on the acquisition of primary data obtained through the development and distribution of a questionnaire to a specific sample, the results of which have been translated into value terms in the form of indicators. The survey conducted had the purpose of carrying out a first evaluation able to provide some basic indications regarding the awareness within Sapienza of the relationship between sustainability and food. Based on the indications obtained at this stage, it is expected to give rise to additional and in-depth investigations aimed at providing a model of sustainable food consumption that can be replicated on a large scale.