Exploring Key Factors Driving Urban Foraging Behavior in Garden and Non-Garden Locations

Area of Science:

• Environmental Psychology
• Urban Ecology
• Consumer Behavior

Background:

• Increased interest in alternative food procurement methods following COVID-19 and food price inflation.
• Urban foraging has gained traction as a sustainable food sourcing strategy.
• Understanding the drivers of urban foraging behavior is crucial for landscape management and community engagement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the key factors influencing urban foraging behavior in the U.S.
• To analyze the distinct foraging behaviors of 'leaving food behind' versus 'taking it all'.
• To examine these behaviors in both gardening and non-gardening urban settings.

Main Methods:

• Online consumer survey data collection.
• Analysis using SmartPLS 4 with partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).
• PLS-SEM was chosen for its suitability in complex, exploratory research without distributional assumptions.

Main Results:

• Nature and food-related attitudes are significant predictors of attitudes toward urban foraging.
• Attitudes such as 'food foraging is challenging' and 'food foraging benefits people and the planet' are key drivers for both 'taking' and 'leaving' behaviors.
• These drivers were consistent across both gardening and non-gardening locations.

Conclusions:

• Urban foraging behavior is strongly influenced by underlying attitudes towards nature and food.
• Perceptions of foraging's challenges and benefits play a critical role in determining specific foraging actions.
• Findings offer valuable insights for urban planners, landscape designers, and policymakers involved in managing urban food resources.