Less Food Wasted? Changes to New Zealanders’ Household Food Waste and Related Behaviours Due to the 2020 COVID-19 Lockdown

Sharp, Emma L.; Haszard, Jillian J.; Egli, Victoria; Roy, Rajshri; Morenga, Lisa Te; Teunissen, Lauranna; Decorte, Paulien; Cuykx, Isabelle; Backer, Charlotte De; Gerritsen, Sarah

doi:10.3390/su131810006

Cited by 16 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 28 publications

(44 reference statements)

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“…Previous research from Spain has reported that reduced food waste during the COVID-19 lockdown was related to reduced shopping frequency, improved food management and preparing more creative recipes with leftovers ( 62 ). Likewise, changes in household food management and reduced food waste has been reported in Italy ( 73 , 74 ) and New Zealand ( 75 ). Further, participants in the present study discussed food waste in relation to concerns over food access and availability, corresponding with a Tunisian study ( 76 ) which suggested that reduction in food waste during COVID-19 lockdown was likely to be driven by socioeconomic factors rather than environmental concern.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

COVID-19 and the National Lockdown: How Food Choice and Dietary Habits Changed for Families in the United Kingdom

Scott

Ensaff

2022

Front. Nutr.

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COVID-19 changed the way families in the UK live, with as yet uncertain impacts to food choice and dietary habits. This study sought to explore food-related experiences and changes to behavior of families with children, during the pandemic. Semi-structured one-to-one interviews with parents (n = 20) and, separately, their children (n = 22; aged 8–10 years) were conducted. An inductive thematic approach was adopted for the data analysis, and four main themes emerged: commensality; elevated place of food in the home; snacking; and food shopping. Study findings highlighted several changes: some related to increased snacking and more takeaway food; others were more favorable, including spending more time together, increased home cooking, more efficient shopping practices and reduced food waste. Overall, an elevation of the place of food within the home was apparent, alongside enhanced food literacy, and some evidence of the relocalisation of food. This study contributes to the international literature on the impact of COVID-19 and national lockdowns on family lifestyle behaviors, specifically food choice and dietary habits; further research into the longer-term effects of COVID-19 on family food practices is required.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

COVID-19 and the National Lockdown: How Food Choice and Dietary Habits Changed for Families in the United Kingdom

Scott

Ensaff

2022

Front. Nutr.

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“…A possible explanation for why meal kit use was lowest in single-person households may be that most ingredient boxes are designed for at least two people. Purchasing a meal kit just for one person may not be financially viable and/or result in greater food waste ( 26 ). Meal kits would benefit from including information about how to modify recipes to reduce energy intake or suggest alterations in portion size for those with lower energy requirements or one person ( 35 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The original COVID Kai Survey contained 100 variables, including questions regarding perceived cooking ability, a food frequency questionnaire, and sources of nutritional advice, amongst other topics. Many of these variables have been discussed elsewhere ( 24 – 26 ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Household Mealtimes During the 2020 COVID-19 Lockdown in Aotearoa New Zealand: The Influence of Household Type and Psychological Distress

et al. 2022

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COVID-19 lockdown meant disruptions to daily routines for households in Aotearoa New Zealand. The research presented here investigates how mealtimes changed for people living in New Zealand during the first COVID-19 lockdown in mid-2020 and sought to determine if household composition type and psychological distress impacted the frequency of engaging in several mealtime behaviors. The COVID Kai Survey collected data using an anonymous, online survey and asked questions on sociodemographic characteristics including household composition, frequency of engaging in different mealtime behaviors before and during lockdown, and psychological distress, which was measured using the Kessler 6 screening tool. The findings of this study shows an increase in the perceived importance of mealtimes (n = 807, 26.9% before lockdown, n = 1,154, 38.5% during lockdown) and an increase in the proportion of the survey respondents who stated that they frequently ate meals at the dinner table (n = 1,343, 44.8% before lockdown, n = 1,481, 49.4% during lockdown). There was a decrease, across all household composition types, in the proportion of respondents who ate out frequently at a restaurant or café (n = 878, 29.3% before lockdown, n = 5, 0.2% during lockdown, P < 0.001). The use of meal kits, e-dining, and eating meals in front of screens is also presented and discussed. All results are discussed with reference to Aotearoa New Zealand’s stringent lockdown restrictions. Respondents who experienced psychological distress during lockdown were 1.47 times more likely to consider mealtimes an important part of their day and respondents living in households with one adult and at least one child who also experienced psychological distress were 5.95 times more likely to eat dinner at the dinner table than those who did not report psychological distress. Findings of this study further the understanding of the wider societal impact of COVID-19 lockdown on everyday life.

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“…Furthermore, another study conducted in Brazil (Cequea et al, 2021 ), seeking to compare Brazilian and Peruvian changes in food behaviour during the pandemic, underlined the employment of food management practices in connection with concerns about food practices and the price of food. In contrast, a study conducted in New Zealand (Sharp et al, 2021 ) showed that people who struggled to acquire money for food were more likely to waste food during the lockdown compared to the pre-pandemic era. This finding contradicts studies noting the relevance of socio-economic and financial factors in reducing consumer food waste (Jribi et al, 2020 ).…”

Section: Systematic Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 95%

“… Economic factors : Economic factors can be defined as external factors that relate to the economic context in which consumers make purchases. Primarily, the studies investigated the economic factor of food price changes, highlighting the influence of these changes on consumer choice (Babbitt et al, 2021 ; Cequea et al, 2021 ; Qian et al, 2020 ; Roe et al, 2020 ; Schmitt et al, 2021 ; Sharp et al, 2021 ). Behavioural factors : In the reviewed papers, behavioural factors tended to relate to food purchasing, preparation, and management.…”

Section: Systematic Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

A review of the effects of COVID-19 on food waste

Borghesi

Morone

2022

Food Sec.

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The COVID-19 pandemic exposed significant vulnerabilities in systems of production and consumption. In particular, the economic and social implications of the pandemic highlighted the urgent need for more sustainable and less impactful practices of food production and consumption. Through a systematic literature review, this paper seeks to assess how the pandemic affected the phenomenon of food waste, with the aim of assessing whether the pandemic stimulated changes amongst food system actors, especially consumers. The findings indicate that consumers generally reported behavioural changes during the pandemic and claimed to have adopted sustainable practices that could contribute to reducing food waste. The results also reflect the rapid diffusion of practices such as food delivery during the pandemic, which requires further investigation in terms of its effects on the environment. Simultaneously, supply–demand shocks and disruptions were reported in the areas of production, processing, and retailing, suggesting the occurence of ripple effects. A call is made for greater resilience in the food system, through the adoption of sustainable and less impactful practices, supported by policy.

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Less Food Wasted? Changes to New Zealanders’ Household Food Waste and Related Behaviours Due to the 2020 COVID-19 Lockdown

Cited by 16 publications

References 28 publications

COVID-19 and the National Lockdown: How Food Choice and Dietary Habits Changed for Families in the United Kingdom

COVID-19 and the National Lockdown: How Food Choice and Dietary Habits Changed for Families in the United Kingdom

Household Mealtimes During the 2020 COVID-19 Lockdown in Aotearoa New Zealand: The Influence of Household Type and Psychological Distress

A review of the effects of COVID-19 on food waste

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