A Comprehensive Food Consumption and Waste Analysis Based on Ecommerce Behaviour in the Case of the Afer Community

ABSTRACT

The agri-food systems have been facing many challenges and, besides the global effort to improve the level of food security, an emerging challenge specific to modern societies is the one related to food waste management. Among others, ensuring a more sustainable future means that production and consumption patterns need to be reshaped in the direction of a responsible, zero-waste, and circular model. In this context, food ordering and delivery platforms can serve as a solution that can minimise food waste if the purchased food quantity is appreciated rationally by consumers. However, these digital platforms can act as a double-edged sword, since users can also tend to purchase more than they can actually consume. This research aimed at bringing its contribution to this topic by exploring the linkage between food purchasing and consumption patterns, the generation of food waste and the eCommerce behaviour in the case of a specific community - the Association of Faculties of Economics in Romania (AFER). Multiple consumer profiles were designed by resorting to various econometric methods after carrying out an online survey among the members of the community. Findings suggest that consumers' willingness to adjust to sustainable food consumption behaviours varies significantly according to their educational background, economic status, and predisposition to order food online. The results can help decision makers adopt better policies with respect to shaping consumer behaviours toward sustainability by making rational use of food ordering and delivery platforms.