Recent studies have shown that consumers encounter various conflicting motivations that influence the prevention of household food waste. Food choices are rooted in deep-seated judgments, such as emotions, habits, and values, thus raising the cognitive dissonance between motivation and behavior (intention-behavior gap). The complexity of this subject increases when considering that food waste is driven by repetitive, multiple, and hidden individual choices and influenced by a composite set of situational factors. This study argues the presence of a critical distance between food choices and waste generation in homes and this factual interval (behavior-outcome gap) further affects consumer's decision-making when comparing available options. Employing data from a three-year survey of a national representative panel of Italian consumers, this study develops a system of regression models using path analysis methodology. The objective is to measure the relationships between the different phases of the food consumption cycle and rank their contribution to waste. The results suggest that the more upstream the phase, the stronger the influence on food waste generation in homes. Purchasing emerges as the most critical choice of the consumers' food waste cycle. This gap between behavior and outcome adds uncertainty to food decisions, which reverberates on behavioral beliefs and as a result, leads consumers to resort to heuristics. The findings allow for the identification of a set of behavioral patterns with implications on food waste generation. Furthermore, purchasing decisions are exposed to out-of-home contextual factors, suggesting that food retail can affect consumer behaviors relevant to household food waste.

Marco Setti, F.B. (2018). Consumers' food cycle and household waste. When behaviors matter. JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION, 185, 694-706 [10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.03.024].

Consumers' food cycle and household waste. When behaviors matter

Marco Setti
Conceptualization
;
Federico Banchelli
Methodology
;
Luca Falasconi
Formal Analysis
;
Andrea Segrè
Formal Analysis
;
Matteo Vittuari
Formal Analysis
2018

Abstract

Recent studies have shown that consumers encounter various conflicting motivations that influence the prevention of household food waste. Food choices are rooted in deep-seated judgments, such as emotions, habits, and values, thus raising the cognitive dissonance between motivation and behavior (intention-behavior gap). The complexity of this subject increases when considering that food waste is driven by repetitive, multiple, and hidden individual choices and influenced by a composite set of situational factors. This study argues the presence of a critical distance between food choices and waste generation in homes and this factual interval (behavior-outcome gap) further affects consumer's decision-making when comparing available options. Employing data from a three-year survey of a national representative panel of Italian consumers, this study develops a system of regression models using path analysis methodology. The objective is to measure the relationships between the different phases of the food consumption cycle and rank their contribution to waste. The results suggest that the more upstream the phase, the stronger the influence on food waste generation in homes. Purchasing emerges as the most critical choice of the consumers' food waste cycle. This gap between behavior and outcome adds uncertainty to food decisions, which reverberates on behavioral beliefs and as a result, leads consumers to resort to heuristics. The findings allow for the identification of a set of behavioral patterns with implications on food waste generation. Furthermore, purchasing decisions are exposed to out-of-home contextual factors, suggesting that food retail can affect consumer behaviors relevant to household food waste.
2018
Marco Setti, F.B. (2018). Consumers' food cycle and household waste. When behaviors matter. JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION, 185, 694-706 [10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.03.024].
Marco Setti, Federico Banchelli, Luca Falasconi, Andrea Segrè, Matteo Vittuari
File in questo prodotto:
File Dimensione Formato  
JCLEPRO_12282_postprint.pdf

Open Access dal 08/03/2020

Tipo: Postprint
Licenza: Licenza per Accesso Aperto. Creative Commons Attribuzione - Non commerciale - Non opere derivate (CCBYNCND)
Dimensione 695.92 kB
Formato Adobe PDF
695.92 kB Adobe PDF Visualizza/Apri
1-s2.0-S0261219416301661-main.pdf

accesso riservato

Tipo: Versione (PDF) editoriale
Licenza: Licenza per accesso riservato
Dimensione 441.54 kB
Formato Adobe PDF
441.54 kB Adobe PDF   Visualizza/Apri   Contatta l'autore

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11585/631481
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus 80
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 71
social impact