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The Effect of Consumer Perception on Food Waste Behavior of Urban Households in China

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  • Panpan Zhang

    (School of Economics and Trade, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou 450001, China)

  • Dan Zhang

    (Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China)

  • Shengkui Cheng

    (Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China)

Abstract

Food waste has become a global problem, causing widespread concern in all sectors of society. Many scholars and institutions have researched this issue from different perspectives, but theoretical and empirical research on food waste from the perspective of consumer perception is still limited. Therefore, this study constructs a theoretical framework based on food waste behavior of households and empirically analyzes the effect of consumer perception on food waste by 273 Chinese urban households eating at home. The reliable urban household food waste data are based on a combination of household questionnaire surveys, bookkeeping surveys, weighing surveys, and semi-structured interviews in 2018. The survey site is Zhengzhou City in Henan Province. The results show that the higher urban household consumer perception positive index, the smaller the amount of food waste per capita per meal, and the higher urban household consumer perception negative index, the greater the amount of food waste per capita per meal. These results suggest consumer perception affects urban household food waste behavior significantly. We need to encourage consumers to form a joint effort to change consumer perception about food waste in order to reducing food waste.

Suggested Citation

  • Panpan Zhang & Dan Zhang & Shengkui Cheng, 2020. "The Effect of Consumer Perception on Food Waste Behavior of Urban Households in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(14), pages 1-14, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:14:p:5676-:d:384701
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Marzena Lemanowicz & Anna Jasiulewicz, 2021. "Attitudes and Behaviour of Polish Consumers Regarding Food Waste in the Food Chain," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(2), pages 636-648.
    3. Yue Ma & Abdullah Al Mamun & Mohd Helmi Ali & Mohammad Enamul Hoque & Zhai Lili, 2023. "Modeling the intention and adoption of food waste prevention practices among Chinese households," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-12, December.
    4. Amicarelli, Vera & Lagioia, Giovanni & Sampietro, Stefania & Bux, Christian, 2022. "Has the COVID-19 pandemic changed food waste perception and behavior? Evidence from Italian consumers," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 82(PA).
    5. Fengni Gao & Emmanuel Nketiah & Victor Shi, 2024. "Understanding and Enhancing Food Conservation Behaviors and Operations," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(7), pages 1-19, March.
    6. Valentina Gomes Haensel Schmitt & Mirza Marvel Cequea & Jessika Milagros Vásquez Neyra & Marcos Ferasso, 2021. "Consumption Behavior and Residential Food Waste during the COVID-19 Pandemic Outbreak in Brazil," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-21, March.
    7. Y. Feng & C. Marek & J. Tosun, 2022. "Fighting Food Waste by Law: Making Sense of the Chinese Approach," Journal of Consumer Policy, Springer, vol. 45(3), pages 457-479, September.
    8. Li Jia & Guanghua Qiao, 2022. "Quantification, Environmental Impact, and Behavior Management: A Bibliometric Analysis and Review of Global Food Waste Research Based on CiteSpace," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-24, September.

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