This study explores the motivations behind Chinese households' adoption of food waste prevention practices, applying the Theory of Interpersonal Behavior (TIB) to understand how various factors influence both the intention to reduce food waste and actual food waste behaviors. Household food waste is a major contributor to global food waste, affecting food security, the environment, and financial stability. Prior research has largely focused on developed countries, leaving a gap in understanding food waste behaviors in developing nations like China.
Using a cross-sectional survey conducted via social media, the authors used partial least squares structural equation modeling to test their conceptual model. Findings reveal that Chinese consumers’ intentions to reduce food waste are influenced by cognitive (e.g., sustainability values), environmental (e.g., awareness of consequences and personal responsibility), social (e.g., social norms), and emotional (e.g., anticipated guilt) factors. These intentions, in turn, significantly predict actual food waste prevention behaviors.
This research offers valuable insights for policymakers, marketers, and researchers in designing targeted strategies to minimize food waste, suggesting that promoting interpersonal influences and sustainability values can effectively encourage food waste reduction in Chinese households and potentially in other developing contexts.
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