To eat or not to Eat

Modeling food waste behavior at a hotel breakfast buffet

Datos Bibliográficos

ID22355770
AutoresIvan Puga‐Gonzalez (0000-0003-2510-6760, Norwegian Association for Development Research, autor de correspondencia), L L Lima (0000-0003-2535-828X, Norwegian Association for Development Research), Patrycja Antosz (0000-0001-6330-1597, Norwegian Association for Development Research), Ernesto Carrella (0000-0002-1045-6787, Norwegian Association for Development Research), Elisa Iori (0000-0003-2840-4843, University of Bologna), Caterina Rettore (University of Bologna), Markus G Rousseau (Norwegian Association for Development Research), F Leron Shults (0000-0002-0588-6977, Norwegian Association for Development Research), M Vittuari (0000-0003-4327-1575, University of Bologna)
Año2025
Volumen19
Páginas100333
Fecha de publicación2025-12-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaCleaner and Responsible Consumption (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 2666-7843
EditorialElsevier BV (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1016/j.clrc.2025.100333
OpenAlexW4414301191
IdiomaEN
Referencias citadas30

Food loss and waste are increasingly recognized as the outcomes of complex, interconnected social and environmental dynamics rather than isolated individual choices. In this study, we adopt a complex systems approach to explore how micro-level behaviors and interactions within commercial dining settings give rise to emergent patterns of food waste. We present an agent-based model that integrates a psychologically realistic representation of individual decision-making, grounded in the HUMAT socio-cognitive architecture. Here, artificial agents balance multiple motives — including social, experiential, and values-based drivers — while operating within a context shaped by the Motivation, Opportunities, and Abilities (MOA) framework from the social sciences. The simulated population represents diners in buffet-style environments. Individuals follow rules influenced by their motivations, opportunities, and abilities, which dictate factors such as the timing of their meal, portion sizes, frequency of servings, and amount of leftovers on their plates. Results highlight that the motives of conformism and sustainability have the strongest impact on food waste levels, with higher values drastically reducing leftovers. The model also shows that extra servings—particularly in scenarios with normal plate sizes—are strongly associated with increased waste. These findings underscore how behavioral drivers and situational constraints interact to shape food waste patterns, supporting the model’s application in simulating context-sensitive interventions for promoting sustainable and responsible consumption. • Introduces an agent-based model integrating the HUMAT socio-cognitive architecture, the MOA framework, and social norms to explore food waste behavior in buffet-style dining. • Bridges behavioral science, social simulation, and sustainability research to advance understanding of food-related decision-making. • Identifies conformism and sustainability values as critical drivers of responsible consumption in buffet contexts. • Shows how individual motives and contextual constraints interact to produce emergent patterns of food waste

Food systems · Food waste · Population · Psychological intervention · Situational ethics · Sustainability · Sustainable agriculture · Food Waste Reduction and Sustainability · Urban Agriculture and Sustainability