Economic Welfare, Food Prices, and Sectoral Food Waste: A Structural Analysis Across the European Union

Food waste remains a significant challenge in the European Union, reflecting structural differences across economic sectors and member states. This study examines how macroeconomic conditions relate to sectoral food waste using harmonized Eurostat data for the EU-27, covering five stages of the food chain and three economic indicators: GDP (Gross Domestic Product) per capita, adjusted gross disposable income per capita, and the Harmonized Index of Consumer Prices for food. The research design integrates factor analysis, structural equation modeling, and hierarchical clustering. Results show that income-related variables have a positive, statistically significant effect on overall food waste, particularly in manufacturing and distribution. In contrast, food prices show a negative, statistically non-significant relationship with waste generation. Cluster analysis identifies two statistically distinct country groups; however, substantial internal heterogeneity indicates that these clusters reflect structural economic configurations rather than typological or behavioral categories. The findings suggest that macroeconomic factors partially explain cross-country differences in food waste and support the need for context-sensitive, sector-specific policy interventions.