Fine-Tuning the Fight Against Food Waste

Abstract

The complex causes of consumer food waste make it difficult for commercial actors and public policy makers to develop successful foodwaste reduction campaigns. One of the essential problems is that consumer food waste seems to be the unplanned result of divergent food-related behaviors. The current research investigates the relationship between distinctive consumer food-related lifestyle patterns and food waste. A survey with 848 consumers in a Northern European country (Denmark) suggests that segments of consumers identified by food-related behaviors have corresponding differences in food waste produced. For example, consumers’ food waste varies across different patterns of food-related lifestyle-dimensions, such as 1) cooking enjoyment, 2) food planning, 3) price orientation, 4) social relationships related to meals, and 5) food-safety concerns. The study presents possible macromarketing actions and policies targeting consumer segments to reduce food waste.