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The Impact of COVID‐19 on Consumer Food Waste

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  • Brian E. Roe
  • Kathryn Bender
  • Danyi Qi

Abstract

Perhaps no phenomenon has so quickly and radically altered household production parameters and daily food patterns as the onset of the COVID‐19 pandemic. We contemplate the immediate and longer‐term implications of this public health crisis on the amount of food wasted by consumers. We conclude that the pandemic and its aftermath may improve household skills and management practices in a manner that reduces day‐to‐day household food waste. However, pandemic‐driven disruptions may induce larger intermittent purges of food due to changes in work patterns and food service and food retailing availability. We recommend several steps to reduce waste as the pandemic unfolds.

Suggested Citation

  • Brian E. Roe & Kathryn Bender & Danyi Qi, 2021. "The Impact of COVID‐19 on Consumer Food Waste," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 43(1), pages 401-411, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:apecpp:v:43:y:2021:i:1:p:401-411
    DOI: 10.1002/aepp.13079
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Caiyun Liu & Hui Jiang & Daniel Badulescu & Dorin Paul Bac, 2022. "Achieving Zero Hunger Goal through Minimizing Waste in Food Supply Chain: Evidence from Asian Emerging Region," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-12, May.
    3. George Davis, 2021. "The many ways COVID-19 affects households: consumption, time, and health outcomes," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 19(2), pages 281-289, June.
    4. Janet Music & Sylvain Charlebois & Louise Spiteri & Shannon Farrell & Alysha Griffin, 2021. "Increases in Household Food Waste in Canada as a Result of COVID-19: An Exploratory Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-11, November.
    5. Lea Kubíčková & Lucie Veselá & Marcela Kormaňáková, 2021. "Food Waste Behaviour at the Consumer Level: Pilot Study on Czech Private Households," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(20), pages 1-24, October.
    6. Mario Amato & Fabio Verneau & Adele Coppola & Francesco La Barbera, 2021. "Domestic Food Waste and Covid-19 Concern: An Application of the Theory of Planned Behaviour," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-12, July.
    7. Kun Qian & Firouzeh Javadi & Michikazu Hiramatsu, 2020. "Influence of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Household Food Waste Behavior in Japan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(23), pages 1-15, November.
    8. Eulalia Skawińska & Romuald I. Zalewski & Joanna Wyrwa, 2023. "Students’ Food Consumption Behavior during COVID-19 Lockdown," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-28, June.
    9. Sylvain Charlebois & Mark Juhasz & Janet Music, 2021. "Supply Chain Responsiveness to a (Post)-Pandemic Grocery and Food Service E-Commerce Economy: An Exploratory Canadian Case Study," Businesses, MDPI, vol. 1(2), pages 1-19, July.
    10. Jimin Shim & Joonho Moon & Myungkeun Song & Won Seok Lee, 2021. "Antecedents of Purchase Intention at Starbucks in the Context of Covid-19 Pandemic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-14, February.
    11. Stephanie Marwood & Noreen Byrne & Olive McCarthy & Ciara Heavin & Peter Barlow, 2023. "Examining the Relationship between Consumers’ Food-Related Actions, Wider Pro-Environmental Behaviours, and Food Waste Frequency: A Case Study of the More Conscious Consumer," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-30, February.
    12. Paweł Brzustewicz & Anupam Singh, 2021. "Sustainable Consumption in Consumer Behavior in the Time of COVID-19: Topic Modeling on Twitter Data Using LDA," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-20, September.
    13. Gabriele Scozzafava & Caterina Contini & Francesca Gerini & Leonardo Casini, 2022. "Post-lockdown changes in diet in Italy and the USA: Return to old habits or structural changes?," Agricultural and Food Economics, Springer;Italian Society of Agricultural Economics (SIDEA), vol. 10(1), pages 1-20, December.
    14. Walter Leal Filho & Amanda Lange Salvia & Arminda Paço & Celia Dias-Ferreira & Samara Neiva & Izabela Simon Rampasso & Rosley Anholon & Claudio Ruy Portela de Vasconcelos & João Henrique Paulino Pires, 2022. "Assessing the Connections between COVID-19 and Waste Management in Brazil," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-19, July.
    15. Tarek Ben Hassen & Hamid El Bilali & Mohammad S. Allahyari & Islam Mohamed Kamel & Hanen Ben Ismail & Hajer Debbabi & Khaled Sassi, 2022. "Gendered Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Food Behaviors in North Africa: Cases of Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(4), pages 1-13, February.
    16. Tarek Ben Hassen & Hamid El Bilali & Mohammad S. Allahyari & Darjan Karabašević & Adriana Radosavac & Sinisa Berjan & Željko Vaško & Pavle Radanov & Ibrahim Obhođaš, 2021. "Food Behavior Changes during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Statistical Analysis of Consumer Survey Data from Bosnia and Herzegovina," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-11, August.
    17. Alaa M. S. Azazz & Ibrahim A. Elshaer, 2022. "Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic, Social Media Usage and Food Waste Intention: The Role of Excessive Buying Behavior and Religiosity," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(11), pages 1-14, June.

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