Food for Thought: How Culture Shapes Intentions to Reduce Food Waste in South Africa

Abstract

In the context of increasing food scarcity, the issue of household food waste has garnered significant attention, particularly in developing nations. Despite its critical importance, there remains a paucity of empirical research exploring the underlying behavioral and cultural factors that shape individuals’ intentions to reduce food waste within their homes. This article seeks to bridge this gap by drawing on the theory of planned behavior to examine how personal cultural values impact attitudes toward food waste reduction, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control (PBC), which serve as key determinants of behavioral intention. To empirically test the proposed model, a comprehensive quantitative survey was conducted among 529 South African consumers. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling, revealing that consumers who exhibit stronger adherence to cultural dimensions such as uncertainty avoidance and long-term orientation, coupled with lower scores on power distance, are likely, through the influence of attitude, subjective norms, and PBC, to possess higher intentions to actively reduce food waste. These findings offer valuable insights for marketers and policymakers, highlighting the potential to leverage cultural values in designing effective interventions aimed at encouraging more sustainable consumer behaviors and reducing household food waste.