Factors of Food Waste Reduction Underlying the Extended Theory of Planned Behavior: A Study of Consumer Behavior towards the Intention to Reduce Food Waste

Johannes Schrank, Aphinya Hanchai, Sahapob Thongsalab, Narakorn Sawaddee, Kirana Chanrattanagorn and Chavis Ketkaew
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Johannes Schrank: International College, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand
Aphinya Hanchai: International College, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand
Sahapob Thongsalab: International College, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand
Narakorn Sawaddee: International College, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand
Kirana Chanrattanagorn: International College, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand

Resources, 2023, vol. 12, issue 8, 1-17

Abstract: Food waste represents an economic, environmental, and social threat, which makes it an important subject of investigation. Food waste behavior has a crucial effect on everyone’s food security, food safety, economic growth, and the environment; hence, it requires further analysis. The article’s objective is to study the food waste reduction behavior of individual consumers and to examine factors which can explain the intention to reduce food waste. The study’s conceptual foundation is the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), which aims to explain the relationship between an individual’s attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. The paper extends the TPB by including new factors such as environmental concern, perceived ascription of responsibility, marketing addiction, moral norm, and waste preventing behavior. The data were collected via quota sampling and examined using the structural equation modeling (SEM). The study employed a sample of 369 people in Thailand. The results show that waste preventing behavior, attitude, and perceived behavioral control significantly impact the intention to reduce food waste. The subjective norm and environmental concern positively affects the attitude, which subsequently impacts the intention to reduce food waste. Marketing addiction negatively impacts perceived behavioral control and, hence, increases food waste. This research paper enlarges the understanding of the intention to minimize food waste. Moreover, it points out the implications on how consumers and the government may improve the desire to decrease food waste.

Keywords: attitude; consumer behavior; food waste; theory of planned behavior; waste reduction (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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