Assessment of household food waste management during the COVID-19 pandemic in Serbia: a cross-sectional online survey

Regional Agriculture and Food Systems Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Case of the Near East and North Africa Region

The COVID-19 pandemic affected agri-food systems worldwide. However, while the impacts differed from one country/region to another, the scholarly literature seems to focus on developed countries in the Global North. Consequently, this review scrutinizes the literature on the pandemic's impacts in the Near East and North Africa (NENA) region. A search on the Web of Science in March 2023 generated 334 documents, of which 151 were eligible for inclusion in the systematic review. According to the bibliometric analysis, the most active nations are Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, and Lebanon. In general, the coverage of studies is better in the Gulf region than in the less developed countries of North Africa and those suffering from wars (cf. Libya, Syria, and Yemen). Studies generally focus on crop production and the downstream food chain (cf. distribution and consumption). While the pandemic influenced every pillar of food security, this research concentrates on access and utilization. Meanwhile, the lion's share of the literature deals with the pandemic's socio-economic effects, especially those linked to food (in)security and health. The pandemic, which laid bare the agri-food system vulnerabilities, should be seized to foster the transition towards more resilient agri-food systems in the NENA region.

Exploring the environmental and economic impact of fruits and vegetable loss quantification in the food industry

Population growth has stimulated rising demand for agro-food products and economic activity for many years, negatively impacting the ecosystem and non-renewable resource consumption. Algeria confronts the monumental challenge of effectively choosing how to nourish everyone on a more congested globe. However, food loss is a significant issue that worsens as Algerians' population expands and food consumption increases. In Algeria, food production and processing of food items, which include fruits, vegetables, and cereals, generate a considerable amount of by-products, with no commercial exploitation and a negative environmental impact, generating enormous socioeconomic problems. These by-products are essential sources of products with high levels of added value that can be applied in different sectors. They have no studies to measure the scope of food loss in the Algerian food industry. In this background, our research aims to quantify the loss in the Algerian food industry generated by the transformation of various agricultural products, directly affecting the economy and food availability for the population. The research utilizes a mixed methods approach, including coefficients, production statistics transformed, and data analysis; the findings reveal that a significant portion of fruits and vegetables are lost in the Algerian food industry, suggesting that minimizing food loss can help companies minimize costs and mitigate the adverse environmental effects of food production. Finally, the study proposes practical options to minimize food loss to create a long-term food system in Algeria.

Food Safety Awareness, Changes in Food Purchasing Behaviour and Attitudes towards Food Waste during COVID-19 in Türkiye

(1) Background: The COVID-19 pandemic brought the key issues of food security, food safety, and food waste into sharp focus. Türkiye is in the enviable position of being among the top ten agricultural economies worldwide, with a wide diversity of food production. This survey was undertaken in order to gain insights into consumer behaviour and attitudes in Türkiye with respect to these issues. The objective was to highlight strengths and weaknesses, identify areas for improvement, and present strategies for the future. (2) Methods: This survey was carried out between April and May 2022 in 12 provinces throughout Türkiye. Face-to-face interviews were performed with 2400 participants representing a cross-section of ages, educational attainment, and socio-economic categories. The findings were evaluated statistically. (3) Results: The results provide an insight into attitudes and behaviours, both pre-COVID-19 and during the pandemic. In several ways, the pandemic enhanced knowledge and improved behaviour, leading to improvements in diet and reductions in food waste. However, worrying concerns about food safety persist. Specific attention has been given to understanding patterns of bread consumption, particularly in consideration of waste. (4) Conclusions: It is hoped that the results of this survey will increase dialogue between the components of the food sector, encourage education initiatives, and contribute to improving food safety and security and reducing food waste in Türkiye and beyond.

How to promote municipal household waste management by waste classification and recycling? A stochastic tripartite evolutionary game analysis

Municipal household waste management (MHWM) is crucial for urban governance and sustainable development. Currently, Chinese governments at all levels are making great effort to implement MHWM through waste classification and recycling (WCR). However, the major participants in WCR, such as urban residents, property management companies and government departments, may act in their self-interest and hinder the MHWM goals. Therefore, it has become an imperative initiative to promote MHWM by effectively coordinate their conflicts of interest. Considering that external factors with complexity and uncertainty may also affect participants' behaviors, we develop a stochastic tripartite evolutionary game to model behavioral interaction of the three participants. Then we derive theoretical results and simulate different scenarios to examine the effects of key factors on participants' strategy evolution. The results show that stochastic interference, cost reduction and rules simplification contribute to WCR of MHWM, and reward and performance improvement benefits have different incentive effects. Moreover, credit-based punishment and disclosure of non-compliance are more effective than financial-based penalty. To promote MHWM, policymakers should not only simplify classification rules, lower participation cost and enhance credit-based punishment system, but also encourage anonymous report and apply well-designed financial-based incentive and penalty.

Factors affecting food waste: A bibliometric review on the household behaviors

Sustainability issues such as food insecurity, climate change, land degradation, economic development and food waste are the actual most important challenges at the global level. Among them, the food waste (FW) challenge has a great magnitude, emphasizing the importance of examining this issue. Specifically, there is a need to focus on the household level. Thus, this study aims to investigate and identify the main factors influencing FW household behaviors on which policymakers and stakeholders could outline specific and sustainable strategies. Starting from a large number of published studies on this subject with a similar aim but focusing on specific Countries or contexts, the goal of our study is achieved through the implementation of a systematic literature review followed by a bibliometric review using the VOSviewer software. The selected query generated a total of 235 matching papers from which only 111 papers were collected for the bibliometric review because of the inclusion criteria. The analysis showed the existence of four major research strands: the largest one analyses the antecedents of behavior during food management, including the implementation of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). Other detected topics are the economic impact of FW, the effects generated by the Covid-19 pandemic on consumer behaviors, and finally, the environmental and social effects of FW. The objective of this study is to investigate and identify the main factors influencing FW household behaviors. The obtained output represents useful information for policymakers and stakeholders to outline specific and sustainable strategies to reduce FW.

Characteristics of Biogas Production and Synergistic Effect of Primary Sludge and Food Waste Co-Digestion

Co-digestion implementation in wastewater treatment plants enhances biogas yield, so this research investigated the optimal ratio of biodegradable waste and sewage sludge. The increase in biogas production was investigated through batch tests using basic BMP equipment, while synergistic effects were evaluated by chemical oxygen demand (COD) balance. Analyses were performed in four volume basis ratios (3/1, 1/1, 1/3, 1/0) of primary sludge and food waste with added low food waste: 3.375%, 4.675%, and 5.35%, respectively. The best proportion was found to be 1/3 with the maximum biogas production (618.7 mL/g VS added) and the organic removal of 52.8% COD elimination. The highest enhancement rate was observed among co-digs 3/1 and 1/1 (105.72 mL/g VS). A positive correlation between biogas yield and COD removal is noticed while microbial flux required an optimal pH, value of 8 significantly decreased daily production rate. COD reductions further supported the synergistic impact; specifically, an additional 7.1%, 12.8%, and 17% of COD were converted into biogas during the co-digestions 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Three mathematical models were applied to estimate the kinetic parameters and check the accuracy of the experiment. The first-order model with a hydrolysis rate of 0.23-0.27 indicated rapidly biodegradable co-/substrates, modified Gompertz confirmed immediate commencement of co-digs through zero lag phase, while the Cone model had the best fit of over 99% for all trials. Finally, the study points out that the COD method based on linear dependence can be used for developing relatively accurate model for biogas potential estimation in anaerobic digestors.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12155-023-10620-8.

Has the COVID-19 pandemic changed household food management and food waste behavior? A natural experiment using propensity score matching

Household food management behavior changed considerably during the COVID-19 pandemic. A growing body of work has quantified the impact of lockdowns on household food waste. Yet, previous studies used a retrospective study design which undermines the accuracy of the causal effect on household food waste. This paper investigates the causal impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on household food management and food waste using a natural experiment approach. Using two large national-scale longitudinal data sets (n = 8157), this study quantifies the impact of COVID-19 on food waste and food behavior of Australian households. Propensity score matching (PSM) was carried out to address potential endogeneity issues and to select control and treatment groups for analysis. Findings reveal that Australian households reduced food waste by 9% on average in 2020 (during COVID-19) compared to the pre-pandemic (2019) level. The use of a grocery list, discount purchases, and 'just-in-case' purchases, and food refrigeration have recorded a marked increase during the pandemic compared to pre-pandemic times. The changes to food management and food discard behavior during the pandemic offer important insights for behavior change campaigns to reduce household food waste. Interventions to sustain good food planning and storage practices and involving food retailers are promising entry points in addressing household food waste. The study also highlights the considerable challenge in achieving SDG 12.3 target by 2030.

Food waste perceptions and reported behaviours during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic: Evidence from Bosnia and Herzegovina

An increasing corpus of data demonstrated the disruptive impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on food consumption habits, particularly food waste, but the Balkan area is often overlooked. Accordingly, this study investigates the immediate effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on consumer knowledge and reported behaviours linked to food waste in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The research was based on an online survey with 2425 participants using the Google forms platform from 10 April to 10 May 2020. This period coincided with the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Consumers' behaviours regarding where and how often they buy food, their attitude towards food labels, food provision and particularly the amounts and values of food waste and how they handle it were investigated. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics methods, and the significance of the association between variables was determined using nonparametric and multivariate statistical tests. The study's findings revealed that (i) Bosnia has a low rate of household food waste and a favourable attitude towards food waste prevention, (ii) the majority of the respondents are familiar with the most common expiry labels, notably 'use by' and 'best before' and (iii) consumers adjusted their buying and consumption patterns due to the pandemic. The findings of this research are essential for developing evidence-based policy in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the post-pandemic recovery period since they are unique to that country. Indeed, the crisis' lessons and insights may be used to help move towards more sustainable consumption habits.

No social distancing from food: How the COVID-19 pandemic shaped student food-related activities in the Western Balkans

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic has influenced food preparation and consumption habits, as well as food wastage. The pandemic also affected the lives of university students worldwide; their learning and living environments changed, influencing their eating habits.

AIM

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic on students' food-related activities in four countries in the Western Balkans: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, North Macedonia, and Montenegro.

METHODS

The research draws upon an online survey gathered through the SurveyMonkey platform in four Balkan countries-viz. Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, North Macedonia, and Montenegro-and used a structured questionnaire. The information was collected during the second wave of COVID-19 in October-November 2020. A total of 1658 valid responses were received. Descriptive statistics and nonparametric tests were used to analyze the survey findings.

RESULTS

The research results suggest that the pandemic influenced students' food purchase habits, diets, and food-related behaviors and practices such as food preparation, cooking, and food waste management at the household level. In particular, students have been eating healthier and shopping less frequently during the pandemic. Meanwhile, the pandemic improved their attitude toward food wastage.

CONCLUSION

This study is the first to examine how students in the Balkan region perceive the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their eating habits, laying the groundwork for future studies into the disease's consequences. This and other studies will assist in preparing students and education institutions for future calamities and pandemics. The findings will also help develop evidence-based postpandemic recovery options targeting youth and students in the Western Balkans.

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

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.

Sustainable choices: The relationship between adherence to the dietary guidelines and food waste behaviors in Italian families

Introduction

Food loss and waste are urgent problems to address. Recent estimates highlighted that the highest quantities of waste are generated at the household level and for this reason, the interest in this sector has increased over years.

Methods

To investigate if there is a connection between consumers' behaviors aiming at reducing food waste and consumers' choices in adopting healthy eating habits, a survey among a sample (n = 2,869) representative of the Italian population was carried out with the use of validated questionnaires.

Results

Results demonstrated that the higher the adherence to the Italian dietary guidelines indicator (AIDGI) the higher the score measuring household food waste behaviors (HFWB). In particular, the highest AIDGI corresponds to a preponderance of respondents that was more able to plan the shopping and the use of food (38.9%, p < 0.001), to better evaluate the quantities to cook (40.4%, p < 0.001), to avoid impulsive buying (35.2%, p < 0.01), to have a high knowledge of the food stored (38.4%, p < 0.001), to reuse leftovers (35.4%, p < 0.001), to assess food safety (34.7%, p < 0.001), to plan accurately (34.9%, p < 0.01), to know how to prolong the shelf life of a product (34%, p < 0.05), and to cook creatively (32%, p < 0.01). In addition to that, half of the respondents with the lowest AIDGI score did not receive any education regarding food waste (51.1%, p < 0.001). HFWB indicators globally resulted in scores ranging from 40 to 80% revealing the attention of Italians to food waste issues. Regarding eating habits, in half of the sample (50.4%) a consumption pattern with low adherence to nutritional recommendations was found, in particular among men (34.4%), younger age groups (40%), and people living in large families (42.3%).

Discussion

The overall results provided interesting information that could give input for planning nutrition education actions and identifying targets and topics to be addressed.

Research on food loss and waste in the Western Balkans: A systematic review

Food losses and waste (FLW) is considered a critical issue in the ongoing debate on the sustainability of agri-food systems. However, the scholarly literature on FLW is still geographically-biased, with more attention devoted to developed countries, even in Europe. In this context, this article analyses the state of research on FLW in the Western Balkan region (viz. Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia). A search performed in October 2021 on the Web of Science database returned 34 documents, and 21 eligible ones were included in the systematic review. The topical analysis of the literature addressed causes of FLW, stages of the food supply chain, extent and magnitude of FLW, FLW and food security, economic and environmental impacts of FLW, and food waste (FW) management strategies. A central finding was the scarcity of data on FW in the Western Balkans. Moreover, the literature focused on FW at the consumer level, while food loss at other stages of the food chain was generally overlooked. There is a lack of comprehensive analyses of the economic and environmental impacts of FLW as well as its implications in terms of food and nutrition security. The quantification of FLW is generally inaccurate and based on estimates and self-reported data. The literature focuses on FW reuse and recycling (e.g., energy, compost) while other management strategies (e.g., reduction/prevention, redistribution) are rarely addressed. However, the results indicated that consumers in the Western Balkans pay attention to the FW issue, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, which is an encouraging sign that can be exploited in awareness-raising campaigns and education activities. Meanwhile, research on FLW in the Western Balkans is highly needed to fill the identified knowledge gap and provide evidence to policies dealing with the transition to sustainable food systems in the region.

Impacts of the Russia-Ukraine War on Global Food Security: Towards More Sustainable and Resilient Food Systems?

As a conflict between two major agricultural powers, the Russia–Ukraine war has various negative socioeconomic impacts that are now being felt internationally and might worsen, notably, for global food security. If the war deepens, the food crisis will worsen, posing a challenge to many countries, especially those that rely on food imports, such as those in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Simultaneously, the war came at a bad time for global food markets because food prices were already high due to disruptions in the supply chain caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, strong global demand, and poor harvests in some countries. Understanding how conflict-related disruptions in global food and fertilizer markets might affect price and availability is critical for understanding the overall impact on global food security. Further, four months into the war, its implications for food security suggest that this review is timely, urgent, and highly needed. Accordingly, this paper aims to investigate the Russia–Ukraine war’s direct and indirect impact on global food security. The paper highlights that the war resulted in immediate and far-reaching cascading consequences on global food security: Ukrainian exports have stopped, conscription and population displacement have caused labor shortages, access to fertilizers is restricted, and future harvests are uncertain. First, Ukraine’s export capacity has been hampered. Secondly, conscription and population displacement caused labor shortages. Thirdly, access to vital agricultural products such as fertilizers is also constrained. The war may delay spring planting and winter crop harvesting. Further, the war has indirect and cascading effects. Indeed, rising fertilizer costs may reduce their use and crop yields. Moreover, as seen during the 2007–2008 food crisis, export restrictions and speculation are driving up international prices and worsening the situation. Furthermore, the war triggered a panic buying movement at country and individual levels. Finally, the war may jeopardize the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), notably SDG 1 (No poverty), SDG 2 (Zero hunger), and DG 12 (Responsible consumption and production). However, the consequences of the war on food security are being exacerbated by a variety of underlying rigidities, vulnerabilities, and inefficiencies in global food systems. Accordingly, the transition toward healthy, equitable, and ecologically sustainable food systems must be strengthened by adopting urgent and long-term reforms and policies.

Gendered Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Food Behaviors in North Africa: Cases of Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia

The COVID-19 pandemic-related measures in the Near East and North Africa (NENA) region have resulted in many lifestyle modifications, including changes in diet and food buying patterns among adults. However, the pandemic has impacted women and men differently and exacerbated existing socio-economic and gender inequalities. Indeed, numerous studies conducted worldwide have shown that the COVID-19 pandemic had a disproportionately negative impact on women compared to males. Therefore, this paper aims to analyze the effects of COVID-19 on women’s food behaviors in three countries of the North Africa sub-region, namely, Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia. The study was based on an online poll conducted by SurveyMonkey from 15 September to 5 November 2020, with 995 participants. The outcomes of the research found that when compared to men, (1) women tend to consume more food out of fear, anxiety, or boredom; (2) women prefer to eat more unhealthy food; (3) women tend to stockpile a greater amount of food; and (4) women tend to modify their shopping habits more often. The findings should inform gender-sensitive strategies and policies to address the negative impacts of the pandemic and foster transition towards healthier diets and resilient food systems during the recovery period.

Preparing for the Worst? Household Food Stockpiling during the Second Wave of COVID-19 in Serbia

Stockpiling and panic buying are significant components of crisis- and disaster-related consumption behaviors that have gained significant media coverage during the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper aims to analyze the features of stockpiling behavior during the second wave of COVID-19 in Serbia based on a structured online questionnaire. This study seeks to answer two questions. First, what factors triggered and affected stockpiling during the COVID-19 pandemic in Serbia? Second, how does stockpiling affect other food habits and diets? A total of 851 valid responses were received. The results highlight several features of the stockpiling behavior in Serbia. First, food stockpiling behavior is influenced by some sociodemographic variables such as gender and household composition. Second, stockpiling was fueled by several negative emotions such as fear, sadness, and depression. Third, the results confirm that stockpiling in Serbia was not triggered by supply shortages but rather by consumers’ concerns of obtaining enough food and rising food prices. Finally, food stockpiling was associated with some positive changes such as eating out less (e.g., restaurants/cafeteria), eating more with their family members, and cooking more food. Analyzing and comprehending consumer food stockpiling patterns during the COVID-19 pandemic may offer policymakers imperative information for adjusting supply and response strategies during future crises.