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Research article2022Peer reviewedOpen access

An extended integrative model of behavioural prediction for examining households’ food waste behaviour in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Abouhatab, Assem; Tafesse Tirkaso, Wondmagegn; Tadesse, Elazar; Lagerkvist, Carl-Johan

Abstract

In developing countries, urbanization and demographic changes are increasing food waste generation at household levels. However, it remains unclear how behavioural and personal characteristics influence the behaviours of urban consumers in developing countries regarding food waste. In this study, we extended the integrative model of behavioural prediction to examine the determinants of food waste behaviour amongst a sample of 698 urban dwellers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The empirical results revealed that attitudes and perceived behavioural control were the most important predictors of intention toward food waste reduction. With regard to food waste behaviours, the results showed that the more an individual feels obliged to discard less food, the higher the odds that the quantity of food that gets wasted by the household would be reduced. Likewise, knowledge about the negative impacts of wasting food and an ability to interpret information on labels of food products were associated with decreased quantities of household food waste. In addition, lower psychological distance to food waste was generally associated with lower quantities of wasted food. Finally, sociodemographic characteristics and food-shopping routines were found to be significant predictors of food waste behaviours. Overall, these findings constitute an entry point for more research and policy measures in order to understand determinants of household food waste behaviours in developing countries and to design effective interventions to reinforce their behaviours towards more sustainable food consumption patterns.

Keywords

Food waste; Consumer behaviour; Integrative model of behavioural prediction; Structural equation modelling; Binary logistic model

Published in

Resources, Conservation and Recycling
2022, Volume: 179, article number: 106073

      SLU Authors

        • Associated SLU-program

        Food Waste

        Sustainable Development Goals

        SDG11 Sustainable cities and communities
        SDG12 Responsible consumption and production
        SDG17 Partnerships for the goals

        UKÄ Subject classification

        Economics
        Other Social Sciences not elsewhere specified

        Publication identifier

        DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2021.106073

        Permanent link to this page (URI)

        https://res.slu.se/id/publ/114748