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The Association between Religious Beliefs and Food Waste: Evidence from Chinese Rural Households

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  • Long Qian

    (Institute of Food and Strategic Reserves, Nanjing University of Finance and Economics, Nanjing 210023, China)

  • Feng Li

    (Institute of Food and Strategic Reserves, Nanjing University of Finance and Economics, Nanjing 210023, China)

  • Xia Zhao

    (Institute of Food and Strategic Reserves, Nanjing University of Finance and Economics, Nanjing 210023, China)

  • Hongbo Liu

    (Innovation and Development Institute, Anhui University, Hefei 230039, China)

  • Xiaojie Liu

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

Abstract

This paper investigates the Chinese rural household food waste issue from the unique perspective of religious beliefs based on 1380 samples in 26 provinces in mainland China. By using the count regression approach model, it is found that about 2.30% of the home meal is wasted on average for Chinese rural households. The empirical results reveal that religion has a significantly negative impact on residents’ food wastage, and religious rural households waste less food than their counterparts. Taking into account the possible omission of variables and selection bias, the above conclusion is still valid. Additionally, male household heads, small household size, young families, bad food storage conditions, and the poorer convenience of buying foods are positively related to the higher food waste rate in rural China. Thus, the study provides evidence that religiosity plays a positive role in reducing food waste in rural China. As most of the world’s population is religious to some extent, the finding may also apply to other countries or regions, and it implies that religion and sustainable food consumption are closely related.

Suggested Citation

  • Long Qian & Feng Li & Xia Zhao & Hongbo Liu & Xiaojie Liu, 2022. "The Association between Religious Beliefs and Food Waste: Evidence from Chinese Rural Households," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-15, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:14:p:8555-:d:861520
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Benjamin S. Lowe & Susan K. Jacobson & Glenn D. Israel & Anna L. Peterson, 2023. "Association of Religious End Time Beliefs with Attitudes toward Climate Change and Biodiversity Loss," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-16, June.

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