IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v13y2021i23p13218-d690685.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Increases in Household Food Waste in Canada as a Result of COVID-19: An Exploratory Study

Author

Listed:
  • Janet Music

    (Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada)

  • Sylvain Charlebois

    (Faculty of Management, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada)

  • Louise Spiteri

    (Faculty of Management, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada)

  • Shannon Farrell

    (Faculty of Management, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada)

  • Alysha Griffin

    (Faculty of Management, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada)

Abstract

The era of the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a variety of individual lifestyle and behavioural changes, and could, therefore, potentially involve a shift towards more sustainable food systems. This research was conducted through an online survey of cross-sectional design. We surveyed 8272 Canadians in August of 2020. Participants answered questions about socio-demographic food waste amounts in kilograms, and food-waste-management behaviours. In this exploratory study, we assessed the relationships between socio-demographic variables, and self-reported food-waste behaviours through two-tailed significance testing. Results indicated that Canadian households self-reported an insignificant decrease in food waste during the pandemic. Respondents reported allowing food to expire, not utilizing leftovers, and not finishing meals. Understanding food-waste behaviour changes is key to designing effective mitigation strategies to reduce household food waste and to minimize the environmental consequences with which food waste is associated.

Suggested Citation

  • 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.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:23:p:13218-:d:690685
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/23/13218/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/23/13218/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Valentina Gomes Haensel Schmitt & Mirza Marvel Cequea & Jessika Milagros Vásquez Neyra & Marcos Ferasso, 2021. "Consumption Behavior and Residential Food Waste during the COVID-19 Pandemic Outbreak in Brazil," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-21, March.
    2. Naila Kabeer & Shahra Razavi & Yana van der Meulen Rodgers, 2021. "Feminist Economic Perspectives on the COVID-19 Pandemic," Feminist Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 27(1-2), pages 1-29, April.
    3. Jhuma Sadhukhan & Tom I. J. Dugmore & Avtar Matharu & Elias Martinez-Hernandez & Jorge Aburto & Pattanathu K. S. M. Rahman & Jim Lynch, 2020. "Perspectives on “Game Changer” Global Challenges for Sustainable 21st Century: Plant-Based Diet, Unavoidable Food Waste Biorefining, and Circular Economy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-17, March.
    4. Timothy J. Richards & Bradley Rickard, 2020. "COVID‐19 impact on fruit and vegetable markets," Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics/Revue canadienne d'agroeconomie, Canadian Agricultural Economics Society/Societe canadienne d'agroeconomie, vol. 68(2), pages 189-194, June.
    5. Bender, Kathryn E. & Badiger, Aishwarya & Roe, Brian E. & Shu, Yiheng & Qi, Danyi, 2022. "Consumer behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic: An analysis of food purchasing and management behaviors in U.S. households through the lens of food system resilience," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 82(PA).
    6. Bingli Clark Chai & Johannes Reidar van der Voort & Kristina Grofelnik & Helga Gudny Eliasdottir & Ines Klöss & Federico J. A. Perez-Cueto, 2019. "Which Diet Has the Least Environmental Impact on Our Planet? A Systematic Review of Vegan, Vegetarian and Omnivorous Diets," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(15), pages 1-18, July.
    7. Marc F. Bellemare & Metin Çakir & Hikaru Hanawa Peterson & Lindsey Novak & Jeta Rudi, 2017. "On the Measurement of Food Waste," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 99(5), pages 1148-1158.
    8. Music, Janet & Finch, Erica & Gone, Pallavi & Toze, Sandra & Charlebois, Sylvain & Mullins, Lisa, 2021. "Pandemic Victory Gardens: Potential for local land use policies," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).
    9. 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.
    10. 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.
    11. Lisa Mullins & Sylvain Charlebois & Erica Finch & Janet Music, 2021. "Home Food Gardening in Canada in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-12, March.
    12. Brenna Ellison & Jayson L Lusk, 2018. "Examining Household Food Waste Decisions: A Vignette Approach," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 40(4), pages 613-631, December.
    13. Sylvain Charlebois & Simon Somogyi & Janet Music & Isabelle Caron, 2020. "Planet, Ethics, Health and the New World Order in Proteins," Journal of Agricultural Studies, Macrothink Institute, vol. 8(3), pages 171-192, September.
    14. Fei Men & Valerie Tarasuk, 2021. "Food Insecurity amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: Food Charity, Government Assistance, and Employment," Canadian Public Policy, University of Toronto Press, vol. 47(2), pages 202-230, June.
    15. 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.
    16. Vera Amicarelli & Christian Bux, 2021. "Food waste in Italian households during the Covid-19 pandemic: a self-reporting approach," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 13(1), pages 25-37, February.
    17. Sarra Jribi & Hanen Ben Ismail & Darine Doggui & Hajer Debbabi, 2020. "COVID-19 virus outbreak lockdown: What impacts on household food wastage?," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 22(5), pages 3939-3955, June.
    18. Dawn Thilmany & Elizabeth Canales & Sarah A. Low & Kathryn Boys, 2021. "Local Food Supply Chain Dynamics and Resilience during COVID‐19," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 43(1), pages 86-104, March.
    19. Erpeng Wang & Ning An & Zhifeng Gao & Emmanuel Kiprop & Xianhui Geng, 2020. "Consumer food stockpiling behavior and willingness to pay for food reserves in COVID-19," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 12(4), pages 739-747, August.
    20. Pietro Biroli & Steven Bosworth & Marina Della Giusta & Amalia Di Girolamo & Sylvia Jaworska & Jeremy Vollen, 2020. "Family Life in Lockdown," Working Papers 2020-051, Human Capital and Economic Opportunity Working Group.
    21. Yue Qian & Sylvia Fuller, 2020. "COVID-19 and the Gender Employment Gap among Parents of Young Children," Canadian Public Policy, University of Toronto Press, vol. 46(S2), pages 89-101, August.
    22. Fabio Giudice & Rocco Caferra & Piergiuseppe Morone, 2020. "COVID-19, the Food System and the Circular Economy: Challenges and Opportunities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(19), pages 1-15, September.
    23. Dieter Helm, 2020. "The Environmental Impacts of the Coronavirus," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 76(1), pages 21-38, May.
    24. Alexandra Jurgilevich & Traci Birge & Johanna Kentala-Lehtonen & Kaisa Korhonen-Kurki & Janna Pietikäinen & Laura Saikku & Hanna Schösler, 2016. "Transition towards Circular Economy in the Food System," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(1), pages 1-14, January.
    25. Ola Eriksson, 2017. "Energy and Waste Management," Energies, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-7, July.
    26. Davis, Matthew & Ahiduzzaman, Md. & Kumar, Amit, 2018. "How will Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions change by 2050? A disaggregated analysis of past and future greenhouse gas emissions using bottom-up energy modelling and Sankey diagrams," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 220(C), pages 754-786.
    27. Jill E. Hobbs, 2020. "Food supply chains during the COVID‐19 pandemic," Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics/Revue canadienne d'agroeconomie, Canadian Agricultural Economics Society/Societe canadienne d'agroeconomie, vol. 68(2), pages 171-176, June.
    28. Yuna Chiffoleau & Tara Dourian, 2020. "Sustainable Food Supply Chains: Is Shortening the Answer? A Literature Review for a Research and Innovation Agenda," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(23), pages 1-21, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Giulia Borghesi & Piergiuseppe Morone, 2023. "A review of the effects of COVID-19 on food waste," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 15(1), pages 261-280, February.
    2. Li Jia & Jing Zhang & Guanghua Qiao, 2022. "Scale and Environmental Impacts of Food Loss and Waste in China—A Material Flow Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(1), pages 1-21, December.
    3. Mirela Stanciu & Agatha Popescu & Iuliana Antonie & Camelia Sava & Bogdan Gabriel Nistoreanu, 2022. "Good Practices on Reducing Food Waste Throughout the Food Supply Chain," The AMFITEATRU ECONOMIC journal, Academy of Economic Studies - Bucharest, Romania, vol. 24(60), pages 566-566, April.
    4. Haley Everitt & Paul van der Werf & Jason A. Gilliland, 2023. "A Review of Household Food Waste Generation during the COVID-19 Pandemic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-18, March.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. 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.
    2. Theodoridis, Prokopis K. & Zacharatos, Theofanis V., 2022. "Food waste during Covid- 19 lockdown period and consumer behaviour – The case of Greece," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    3. 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.
    4. Mukesh Kumar & Rakesh D. Raut & Mahak Sharma & Vikas Kumar Choubey & Sanjoy Kumar Paul, 2022. "Enablers for resilience and pandemic preparedness in food supply chain," Operations Management Research, Springer, vol. 15(3), pages 1198-1223, December.
    5. Mirza Marvel Cequea & Jessika Milagros Vásquez Neyra & Valentina Gomes Haensel Schmitt & Marcos Ferasso, 2021. "Household Food Consumption and Wastage during the COVID-19 Pandemic Outbreak: A Comparison between Peru and Brazil," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-22, July.
    6. Bekhzod EGAMBERDIEV, 2021. "Household Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic From A Development Economics Perspective - A Review," Regional Science Inquiry, Hellenic Association of Regional Scientists, vol. 0(1), pages 15-30, June.
    7. Dominik Bertram & Tobias Chilla & Carola Wilhelm, 2021. "Short Value Chains in Food Production: The Role of Spatial Proximity for Economic and Land Use Dynamics," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-21, September.
    8. Chen Liu & Pongsun Bunditsakulchai & Qiannan Zhuo, 2021. "Impact of COVID-19 on Food and Plastic Waste Generated by Consumers in Bangkok," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-21, August.
    9. Abderahman Rejeb & Karim Rejeb & Andrea Appolloni & Mohammad Iranmanesh & Horst Treiblmaier & Sandeep Jagtap, 2022. "Exploring Food Supply Chain Trends in the COVID-19 Era: A Bibliometric Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-33, September.
    10. Giulia Borghesi & Piergiuseppe Morone, 2023. "A review of the effects of COVID-19 on food waste," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 15(1), pages 261-280, February.
    11. Rivera-Ferre, Marta G. & López-i-Gelats, Feliu & Ravera, Federica & Oteros-Rozas, Elisa & di Masso, Marina & Binimelis, Rosa & El Bilali, Hamid, 2021. "The two-way relationship between food systems and the COVID19 pandemic: causes and consequences," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 191(C).
    12. Liang Lu & Ruby Nguyen & Md Mamunur Rahman & Jason Winfree, 2021. "Demand Shocks and Supply Chain Resilience: An Agent-Based Modeling Approach and Application to the Potato Supply Chain," NBER Chapters, in: Risks in Agricultural Supply Chains, pages 107-132, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    13. Laila, Amar & von Massow, Mike & Bain, Maggie & Parizeau, Kate & Haines, Jess, 2022. "Impact of COVID-19 on food waste behaviour of families: Results from household waste composition audits," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 82(PA).
    14. Cruz-Cárdenas, Jorge & Zabelina, Ekaterina & Guadalupe-Lanas, Jorge & Palacio-Fierro, Andrés & Ramos-Galarza, Carlos, 2021. "COVID-19, consumer behavior, technology, and society: A literature review and bibliometric analysis," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    15. Jian Li & Wuyang Hu & Ping Qing & Jean‐Paul Chavas, 2024. "On household food stock and waste under risk," Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics/Revue canadienne d'agroeconomie, Canadian Agricultural Economics Society/Societe canadienne d'agroeconomie, vol. 72(1), pages 23-44, March.
    16. Music, Janet & Finch, Erica & Gone, Pallavi & Toze, Sandra & Charlebois, Sylvain & Mullins, Lisa, 2021. "Pandemic Victory Gardens: Potential for local land use policies," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).
    17. repec:ags:aaea22:335672 is not listed on IDEAS
    18. Amuakwa-Mensah, Franklin & Amuakwa-Mensah, Salome & Klege, Rebecca Afua & Adom, Philip Kofi, 2022. "Stockpiling and food worries: Changing habits and choices in the midst of COVID-19 pandemic," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 82(PA).
    19. 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.
    20. Melissa Maas & Gumataw Kifle Abebe & Christopher M. Hartt & Emmanuel K. Yiridoe, 2022. "Consumer Perceptions about the Value of Short Food Supply Chains during COVID-19: Atlantic Canada Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-20, July.
    21. Mechthild Donner & Anne Verniquet & Jan Broeze & Katrin Kayser & Hugo de Vries, 2021. "Critical success and risk factors for circular business models valorising agricultural waste and by-products," Post-Print hal-03004851, HAL.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:23:p:13218-:d:690685. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.