Food waste accounts for nearly one-third of global food production, and Brazil is among the countries with the highest levels of household food waste, exacerbating national food insecurity that affects approximately 52 million people. Addressing this challenge is crucial for advancing cleaner production and more sustainable consumption patterns. This study examines the behavioral determinants of food waste in Brazilian households to support the development of prevention-oriented strategies. A literature review identified key behavioral drivers, informing an analytical framework grounded in the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). Survey data collected from 2,047 consumers were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The results confirmed eleven of the eighteen proposed hypotheses. Environmental and economic concerns, feelings of guilt, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control significantly increased consumers’ intention to reduce food waste. Conversely, actual food waste behavior was primarily explained by perceived behavioral control, household planning practices, consumption of convenience foods, and the identity associated with being a good provider. By highlighting how behavioral factors shape household food waste in an emerging economy, this study contributes to the literature on sustainable consumption, offers insights for designing effective food waste prevention policies, and supports broader efforts to promote cleaner production and reduce resource inefficiencies and environmental impacts.
Deliberador et al. (Mon,) studied this question.