What a Waste: Confronting Consumer Food Waste Behavior in Hospitality Settings

The phenomenal growth of the hospitality sector has exponentially increased the quantities of food waste being added into the system. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimates that around one-third of the edible parts of the food produced for human consumption gets lost or wasted globally. Along these lines, hospitality food waste represents a significant societal challenge. A review of literature suggests that majority of existing hospitality studies have primarily focused on management's role in reducing food waste and only a few studies have looked into consumer food waste behavior. This chapter also identifies key behavioral tools that support reduction in individual food waste behavior and provides a basis for future empirical investigations.