Effects of food sources on food waste behaviour: evidence from urban regions of Vietnam

The relationship between food sources and food waste handling behaviour, though important in designing food waste reduction interventions, has been largely overlooked. In this context, this study investigates how food sources influence food waste behaviour. Specifically, it compares food waste management practices across food sources and examines the impact of food sources on consumers' decisions to save food. We conducted an online survey in urban Vietnam and yielded 616 valid responses. The survey presented four scenarios capturing corresponding food sources for two hypothetical products: vegetables and pork, which were forgotten and expired, but still edible. They include (1) supermarket purchases, (2) food bought from a known farmer, (3) gifted party leftovers, and (4) gifted party leftovers sourced from a known farmer. The results show the lowest discard rate for the meat sourced from a known farmer (62%) and vegetables that are party leftovers (27%). Proportion test and bivariate probit regression confirm that food sourced from known farmers, which is either gifted leftovers or food bought by consumers, was more likely to be saved, as compared to that from supermarkets, suggesting higher perceived values of local food. The study suggests that fostering food waste reduction requires better consumer communication of food values associated with their perceived favourable food sources, especially local food.