Using Causal Maps to Analyse the Major Root Causes of Household Food Waste: Results of a Survey among People from Central and Southern Italy

Author:

Fanelli Rosa

Abstract

Food waste is an important sustainability issue that needs to be addressed. Consumer behaviour is one of the biggest sources of food waste in developed countries. To successfully reduce consumer-related food waste, it is necessary to have a clear understanding of its major root causes at the level of the individual. The present manuscript presents the results of an exploratory on-line survey that was made available through Google Drive and conducted among a representative sample of 1058 Italian individuals. The information contained in the questionnaire related to the characteristics of the individual respondents, their attitudes to expenditure and food, and their opinions of measures to reduce or prevent food waste. Data analysis was conducted in three phases. The first phase allowed for the identification, with the application of descriptive statistics, of the socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents and why, what, and how much they wasted. In the second phase, linear regression analysis and causal maps were used to both measure the statistical dependence between variables and to identify the main root causes of food waste in the phase of individual consumption. As expected, the perceived quantity of food waste that was declared by respondents was very low. Among the major root causes identified, the socio-demographic characteristics of consumers, types of food shopping purchases, and consumer behaviour played a key role. A causal map was drawn, which offers an immediate vision of the major root causes and can be a useful tool for policymakers who intend to introduce measures to combat food waste. Finally, participants’ responses showed that the main initiatives needed to eliminate waste are the separate collection and dissemination of more information on the impact that waste has on the environment. For these reasons, information and education policies are crucial for changing consumer lifestyles and raising awareness of the value of food.

Publisher

MDPI AG

Subject

Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law,Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment,Geography, Planning and Development

Reference66 articles.

1. FAO Statistical Yearbook 2013—World Food and Agriculture,2012

2. How to Feed the World in 2050,2009

3. The Interactions between the Structure of the Food Supply and the Impact of Livestock Production on the Environment. A Multivariate Analysis for Understanding the Differences and the Analogies across European Union Countries;Fanelli;Qual. Access Success,2018

4. The global economic and regulatory determinants of household food waste generation: A cross-country analysis

Cited by 36 articles. 订阅此论文施引文献 订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献

同舟云学术

1.学者识别学者识别

2.学术分析学术分析

3.人才评估人才评估

"同舟云学术"是以全球学者为主线,采集、加工和组织学术论文而形成的新型学术文献查询和分析系统,可以对全球学者进行文献检索和人才价值评估。用户可以通过关注某些学科领域的顶尖人物而持续追踪该领域的学科进展和研究前沿。经过近期的数据扩容,当前同舟云学术共收录了国内外主流学术期刊6万余种,收集的期刊论文及会议论文总量共计约1.5亿篇,并以每天添加12000余篇中外论文的速度递增。我们也可以为用户提供个性化、定制化的学者数据。欢迎来电咨询!咨询电话:010-8811{复制后删除}0370

www.globalauthorid.com

TOP

Copyright © 2019-2024 北京同舟云网络信息技术有限公司
京公网安备11010802033243号  京ICP备18003416号-3