Sustainable Development: Drivers of Consumer Food Wasting

Abstract

Food waste, the kind of ethical issue, would lead to a significantly negative impact on social, economic, and ecological environment, and is an increasingly discussed topic in recent years. While a magnitude of food waste is generated by individual and household, consumers’ attitudes and behaviors play a vital role in the food supply chain. However, systematic research on food waste through consumer perspectives, especially in the consumer/household level, is missing. This study tries to explore the cultural and psychological factors that influence consumers' ethical norms and behavioral intention toward food waste based on Hunt and Vitell's ethical decision-making model. The results show that consumers would face an ethical dilemma when they decide to act for self-interests or social conflict. Materialism and individualism can significant influence consumers’ ethical norms. Consumers’ ethical behavioral intentions toward food waste would be also affected by ethical norms. Exploring and understanding consumer motives toward food waste attitudes and behaviors can submit some insights based on this study’s findings to avoid food waste behavioral intentions and thus to decline social and environmental damage. Some theatrical and managerial contributions are finally discussed in this study.