Examining Household Food Waste Behaviors and the Determinants in Korea Using New Questions in a National Household Survey

Despite active international efforts to reduce food waste, there are only a few academic researches and policy movements in Korea. One of the many causes of this is the lack of relevant statistics on household food waste behaviors. This study is the first comprehensive study on the food waste behavi...

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Main Authors: Sanghyo Kim, Sang Hyeon Lee
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2020-10-01
Series:Sustainability
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/20/8484
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spelling doaj-6129747a2ff34a35a709ce463b4e692f2020-11-25T03:42:20ZengMDPI AGSustainability2071-10502020-10-01128484848410.3390/su12208484Examining Household Food Waste Behaviors and the Determinants in Korea Using New Questions in a National Household SurveySanghyo Kim0Sang Hyeon Lee1Division of Agri-Food System Research, Korea Rural Economic Institute, Naju 58217, KoreaDepartment of Agricultural & Resource Economics, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, KoreaDespite active international efforts to reduce food waste, there are only a few academic researches and policy movements in Korea. One of the many causes of this is the lack of relevant statistics on household food waste behaviors. This study is the first comprehensive study on the food waste behaviors of Korean households and determinants, providing, based on the analysis of the first representative national-level household survey, useful insights and policy implications for countries with a similar environment and situation to Korea. This study found that approximately 63% of households discharge food waste of less than 500 g a day, and the amount varies by region significantly, implying a potential possibility of food waste reduction by regionally differentiated strategies. It is also found that the amount of food waste is on the rise in Korea, and the most widely used volume-rate disposal system in Korea is public food waste collection boxes (29.44%). Regression analyses indicate that policy efforts should focus on raising awareness of the importance of reducing food waste; for example, by promoting campaigns to encourage desirable food purchases, implementing dietary education, and discovering an optimal volume-rate disposal system that is regionally specific. This study suggest that the Korean government should actively participate in international efforts, establish an integrated system in which stakeholders and policy makers can cooperate, develop indicators and set targets for food waste reduction, and encourage diverse implementation to develop policies tailored to domestic and regional environments.https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/20/8484food wastehousehold behaviorconsumer awarenessintensity of efforts to reduce food wastevolume-rate disposal system
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Sanghyo Kim
Sang Hyeon Lee
spellingShingle Sanghyo Kim
Sang Hyeon Lee
Examining Household Food Waste Behaviors and the Determinants in Korea Using New Questions in a National Household Survey
Sustainability
food waste
household behavior
consumer awareness
intensity of efforts to reduce food waste
volume-rate disposal system
author_facet Sanghyo Kim
Sang Hyeon Lee
author_sort Sanghyo Kim
title Examining Household Food Waste Behaviors and the Determinants in Korea Using New Questions in a National Household Survey
title_short Examining Household Food Waste Behaviors and the Determinants in Korea Using New Questions in a National Household Survey
title_full Examining Household Food Waste Behaviors and the Determinants in Korea Using New Questions in a National Household Survey
title_fullStr Examining Household Food Waste Behaviors and the Determinants in Korea Using New Questions in a National Household Survey
title_full_unstemmed Examining Household Food Waste Behaviors and the Determinants in Korea Using New Questions in a National Household Survey
title_sort examining household food waste behaviors and the determinants in korea using new questions in a national household survey
publisher MDPI AG
series Sustainability
issn 2071-1050
publishDate 2020-10-01
description Despite active international efforts to reduce food waste, there are only a few academic researches and policy movements in Korea. One of the many causes of this is the lack of relevant statistics on household food waste behaviors. This study is the first comprehensive study on the food waste behaviors of Korean households and determinants, providing, based on the analysis of the first representative national-level household survey, useful insights and policy implications for countries with a similar environment and situation to Korea. This study found that approximately 63% of households discharge food waste of less than 500 g a day, and the amount varies by region significantly, implying a potential possibility of food waste reduction by regionally differentiated strategies. It is also found that the amount of food waste is on the rise in Korea, and the most widely used volume-rate disposal system in Korea is public food waste collection boxes (29.44%). Regression analyses indicate that policy efforts should focus on raising awareness of the importance of reducing food waste; for example, by promoting campaigns to encourage desirable food purchases, implementing dietary education, and discovering an optimal volume-rate disposal system that is regionally specific. This study suggest that the Korean government should actively participate in international efforts, establish an integrated system in which stakeholders and policy makers can cooperate, develop indicators and set targets for food waste reduction, and encourage diverse implementation to develop policies tailored to domestic and regional environments.
topic food waste
household behavior
consumer awareness
intensity of efforts to reduce food waste
volume-rate disposal system
url https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/20/8484
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