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Comprehensive Measurement of Italian Domestic Food Waste in a European Framework

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  • Maria Luisa Scalvedi

    (CREA Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Research Center for Food and Nutrition, 00178 Rome, Italy)

  • Laura Rossi

    (CREA Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Research Center for Food and Nutrition, 00178 Rome, Italy)

Abstract

Food management is an inefficient activity, and households are the major contributors responsible for food waste across the food supply chain. Ten years remain to halve household food waste, as recommended by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Up to now, Italian investigations into household food waste have been research activities with limitations in measurement and sampling. The need to establish a monitoring system led the Italian Observatory on Food Surplus, Recovery and Waste to apply a methodology that permits comparison with other European countries. In 2018, a survey involving a representative sample of 1142 Italian households was carried out. The majority of respondents (77%) reported that they had wasted 370 g of food during the last week, evidence in line with data from the Netherlands and progressively different from what was found in Germany, Hungary, and Spain. Perishable products, such as fresh fruit and vegetables, bread, and nonalcoholic drinks, were mainly wasted. The most frequently disposed foods were unused (43.2%) or partly used (30.3%). As for possible causes, household food waste was significantly associated with preventive practices and ability. This study endeavored to segment household food waste based on possible drivers and barriers to preventive action, setting the stage for future monitoring, supporting policy action, and educational intervention.

Suggested Citation

  • Maria Luisa Scalvedi & Laura Rossi, 2021. "Comprehensive Measurement of Italian Domestic Food Waste in a European Framework," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-17, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:3:p:1492-:d:490761
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Claudia Giordano & Fabrizio Alboni & Luca Falasconi, 2019. "Quantities, Determinants, and Awareness of Households’ Food Waste in Italy: A Comparison between Diary and Questionnaires Quantities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(12), pages 1-15, June.
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    3. Gustavo Porpino, 2016. "Household Food Waste Behavior: Avenues for Future Research," Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, University of Chicago Press, vol. 1(1), pages 41-51.
    4. Grunert, Klaus G. & Hieke, Sophie & Wills, Josephine, 2014. "Sustainability labels on food products: Consumer motivation, understanding and use," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 177-189.
    5. Secondi, Luca & Principato, Ludovica & Laureti, Tiziana, 2015. "Household food waste behaviour in EU-27 countries: A multilevel analysis," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 25-40.
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    Cited by:

    1. Fabio Gaetano Santeramo & Emilia Lamonaca, 2021. "Food Loss–Food Waste–Food Security: A New Research Agenda," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-7, April.
    2. Vittoria Pilone & Naomi di Santo & Roberta Sisto, 2023. "Factors affecting food waste: A bibliometric review on the household behaviors," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 18(7), pages 1-21, July.
    3. Mirela Stanciu & Agatha Popescu & Iuliana Antonie & Camelia Sava & Bogdan Gabriel Nistoreanu, 2022. "Good Practices on Reducing Food Waste Throughout the Food Supply Chain," The AMFITEATRU ECONOMIC journal, Academy of Economic Studies - Bucharest, Romania, vol. 24(60), pages 566-566, April.
    4. Nathalie Pano & Kostas Karantininis & Nada Nehme & Jalal Halwani & Jihane Karameh & Fatima Abou Abbass & Aziz Mikhael, 2025. "Fruit and Vegetable Loss in Markets in the North of Lebanon: Drivers, Challenges, and Prevention," Resources, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-17, August.

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