Food waste prevention and reduction: Practices, cultural and personal determinants

Food waste is a pressing global issue with profound social, environmental, and economic implications, prompting an urgent need for a comprehensive understanding of its sources. In the current study, we explored the role of cultural and personal determinants in food management practices. We operationalized two food practices - prevention of food waste by inventory and meal management and reduction of food waste by leftovers management, and explored how they are shaped by personal and cultural determinants. We asked 1200 respondents, three types of questions about their (1) cultural and personal attributes, such as their ethical and religious values; (2) lifestyle and dietary habits, such as their frequency of eating out, and (3) sociodemographic characteristics. We modeled the association between these three types of questions and the two food management practices utilizing a hierarchical multiple regression model. The results indicate that ascribing significant importance to hospitality is associated with less proficiency in inventory and meal management. Those who place a high priority on hospitality preparedness are proficient in managing leftovers but less proficient in inventory and meal management. In addition, individuals with strong ethical and religious views against food wastage tend to manage their inventory and meals poorly but excel at handling surplus food. Finally, secular Ashkenazi Israelis tend to engage in better practices to prevent and reduce food waste. The results also stress the differences between practices to prevent food waste and those to reduce it, opening a promising avenue for future research.