Beyond economic convenience: Unveiling the motives for engaging in food sharing initiatives

Abstract

Food waste is a major global problem nowadays because it negatively affects the environment, society, and the economy. Food sharing has lately emerged as an innovative solution to this problem, but little is known about the behavioral intentions of consumers with regard to food sharing initiatives. In this study, we use the theory of consumption values along with a mixed methods approach to analyze the key motives underlying consumers' intentions for using food sharing platforms. We develop a conceptual model to this end, and collect, analyze, and triangulate data to test it by using both a qualitative and a quantitative approach. The results highlight the relevance of epistemic, conditional, and social values in a communitarian sense in driving people's engagement in food sharing. Functional values were found to have a secondary importance for both users and non-users in this regard. A comparison between users and non-users also revealed that emotional values constitute an important factor for the latter. The study contributes to both theory and practice by highlighting the importance of such initiatives in addressing not only environmental issues, but also social needs, and hence contributing to the sustainable development of local communities.