Food waste: A survey about consumers and their attitudes

Food waste (FW) is a paradox of our time. Although there is a need to increase food production to feed an ever-growing population, about a third of world food production for human consumption is lost and wasted along the food chain every year (FAO, 2011). The authors analyse the amount of FW and the most recent studies on this phenomenon and conduct an empirical analysis to understand consumer habits regarding FW. A questionnaire was administered to a sample of 127 consumers, considering that consumption represents one of the most expensive phases in the food chain. The results show that high income and older people pay less attention to avoiding waste. Finally, the results are compared with similar research and discussed in the concluding section.