Food Waste and Food Prosumption—A Case Study for Sustainable Households in Poland

The main aim of the article was to examine the relationship between food waste and variables describing the socio-demographic characteristics of households in Poland, including reference to the prosumer behaviour of households. Do we respect food more if we produce it ourselves? That is the research question the authors have asked themselves. Consumer behaviour related to running a household, including the production of food for own needs and food waste by end consumers, is an interesting research area, especially in this combination. Food prosumption, alongside the issue of food waste, is part of new consumer trends that are an element of sustainable development. In order to explore the issue, our study was conducted using the diagnostic survey method with the CAWI (Computer-Assisted Web Interview) survey technique. The survey was conducted in July 2022 among 1112 respondents. This is a representative population of households in Poland (in terms of gender, age, size of place of residence, and education), with non-random quota sampling. The answers to the questions received were analysed with a chi-square correlation, supported by the Yule effect (φ) and Cramer’s coefficient (V). The correlations, significant though weak, showed a link between food waste and the variables of age, number of children, and number of people in the household. In addition, the majority of respondents believe that food prosumption contributes to reducing food waste within the household where food is produced for own needs.