Consumer behaviour and household food waste in Greece

Dados Bibliográficos

ID21295044
AutoresProkopis Theodoridis (0000-0002-8133-4509, Hellenic Open University), Theofanis Zacharatos (0000-0002-0852-5712, University of Patras), Vasiliki Boukouvala (0009-0004-7447-4695, University of Patras)
Ano2024
Volume126
Fascículo3
Páginas965-994
Data de publicação2024-02-14
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoBritish Food Journal (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0007-070X • E-ISSN: 1758-4108
EditoraEmerald (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1108/bfj-02-2023-0141
OpenAlexW4388931253
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas4
Referências citadas95

Purpose This study aims to evaluate the issue of household food waste in Greece, with an emphasis on assessing the level of awareness and key behaviours among consumers. Moreover, the study focuses on examining consumer behaviours related to food waste and identifying distinct consumer profiles that can provide valuable insights into the issue in order to uncover unique behavioural factors and offer targeted interventions to curb food waste in the country. Design/methodology/approach A nationwide survey was conducted in Greece using a structured online questionnaire, which was sent to 1,270 participants, through the snowball technique. However, due to some incomplete responses, only 1,238 of the responses were considered suitable for analysis. Common descriptive statistics were used to sketch the respondents' profiles, and a non-hierarchical K-means cluster analysis was performed to identify distinct subgroups in the sample. Findings The study revealed a significant level of food waste awareness among Greek consumers. The cluster analysis identified four distinct consumer groups and substantial differences among them. Notably, sociodemographic analysis underscored a pronounced inclination towards food wastage among younger individuals. Additionally, each cluster's attributes, including their environmental awareness, shopping behaviours meal-planning tendencies and propensity for excess purchases, were examined. Consequently, this study underscored the imperative for targeted informational campaigns tailored for consumer segmentation, offering a pathway to identify prospective interventions conducive to the promotion of sustainable food-consumption practices. Originality/value The originality and value of this work lie in its unique focus on addressing the significant issue of household food waste within the context of Greece. What sets this study apart is the application of non-hierarchical K-means cluster analysis (which allowed the authors to identify distinct consumer profiles), a method not widely utilised in the Greek context. By filling this knowledge gap, this study offers crucial insights that can inform targeted interventions aimed at reducing food waste, in alignment with global sustainability initiatives such as the United Nations Agenda 2030 and the European Union's “Farm to Fork” strategy. Additionally, this study contributes to the efforts to provide innovative solutions to prevent household food waste and foster a sustainable future in an ever-changing international environment marked by various crises

Business · Consumer behaviour · Consumption (sociology) · Descriptive statistics · Focus group · Food waste · Geography · Originality · Promotion (chess) · Psychological intervention · Snowball sampling · Sociology · Typology · Engineering · Environmental Sustainability in Business · Food Waste Reduction and Sustainability · Halal products and consumer behavior · Marketing · Medicine · Psychology · Social Psychology