AbstractThis study is based on the determinants of food wastage. Food loss and waste are food that is not consumed. The causes of food waste or loss occur throughout the food system, during production, processing, distribution, retail and food service sales, and consumption. Food wastage is a growing global issue contributing to pollution, resource loss, and food scarcity. The FAO (2023) estimates that nearly one third of food produced worldwide, about 1.3 billion tonnes, is lost or wasted each year. This worsens hunger and challenges the UNSDG 2 goal of Zero Hunger. Despite improved food production, around 735 million people still face chronic hunger (United Nations, 2023), showing how food wastage continues to hinder sustainable development. Food wastage also happens because of factors like household practices, psycho-social factors, and individual preferences & taste. The influence of these factors is analyzed in the present study and documented. The study’s findings are based on 120 respondents, which may limit generalizability to the wider Coimbatore population. Data collected was analyzed using PSPP software. The results reveal that individual preferences and taste, as well as household practices, have significantly predicted the dependent variable.
Kanishkaa et al. (Wed,) studied this question.