Intention to reduce food waste: A study among Malaysians

Malaysia, also known as a food haven, is currently facing an excessive food waste problem which poses a threat to the environment. The objective of this research is to study the factors that affect the behavioral intention of Malaysians to reduce food waste. This study employs the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the Norm Activation Model (NAM) to better understand the behavioral intention of Malaysians toward reducing food waste. A cross-sectional study was conducted, using 352 self-administered survey questionnaires. Data collected were analyzed through PLS-SEM analysis. The results show that awareness of consequences (AC) and ascription of responsibility (AR) influence personal norms, while attitude, perceived behavioral control, and personal norms (PN) have significant effect on behavioral intention (BI) to reduce food waste. Furthermore, PN partially mediates the relationship between AC and BI as well as AR and BI. This study offers critical insights which will benefit the Malaysian Government, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), and other related parties in recognizing factors influencing the intention to reduce food waste which can be adopted to develop practical solutions to curb food waste in Malaysia.Implications: This study offers critical insights to the Malaysian Government, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and other related parties in recognizing factors influencing the intention to reduce food waste which can be adopted to develop practical solutions to curb food waste in Malaysia.