Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
23. International Union of Nutritional Sciences – International Congress of Nutrition (IUNS-ICN), Paris, Fransa, 24 - 31 Ağustos 2025, (Özet Bildiri)
Background and objectives
Food waste poses a critical challenge to global food system sustainability, with
profound implications for food security, environmental degradation, and economic
stability. Although losses occur at all supply chain stages, households in high- and
middle-income economies are a major contributor to post-production food waste,
accounting for 40–60% of total discards (FAO, 2019; UNEP, 2021). This study
investigated the determinants of household food waste generation and assessed
the efficacy of an intervention developed from these insights.
Methods
A mixed-methods approach was employed across three phases:Phase 1:
Households (n = 382) completed structured questionnaires to assess food waste
practices, sociodemographic characteristics (e.g., age, income, education), and
behavioral determinants.Phase 2: A stratified subset (n = 13) exhibiting
sociodemographic predictors of high food waste behavior (FWB) participated in
semi-structured interviews and 7-day waste diaries (documented via diaries and
photography).Intervention: Insights from Phase 2 informed the development of
tailored educational materials addressing key drivers (e.g., meal planning, portion
sizing, storage techniques). Participants received training using these materials,
and behavioral outcomes were evaluated through post-intervention waste diaries.
Results
Higher Food Waste Behavior (FWB) scores were significantly associated with
younger age (19–29 years), male sex, higher education attainment, employment,
single marital status, income levels of 6500–7499 Turkish Liras, and households
with one female (p<0.05). Intentions to reduce food waste were positively
influenced by personal and environmental attitudes, perceived behavioral control,
guilt, and recycling practices, whereas food safety concerns exhibited a negative
impact on these intentions (p<0.05). The primary contributors to food waste
included excessive portion sizes, food spoilage, and prolonged storage, with
vegetables, fruits, leftovers, and bread identified as the most frequently wasted
items. Post-intervention, the frequency of food waste decreased by 26.5%, and
the total quantity of wasted food declined by 40.7%.
Conclusions
Household food waste behavior is shaped by multidimensional determinants,
necessitating context-specific interventions across regional and national scales.
Integrated approaches targeting behavioral, knowledge-based, and systemic
barriers can enable effective mitigation of food waste and advance food system
sustainability.