Consumer Behaviour and Food Waste in Greece: Insights from 2012 to 2024

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Peer Reviewed

This is a peer-reviewed entry published in Encyclopedia Journal, full entry can be found at 10.3390/encyclopedia5020042

Food waste is a significant challenge for modern societies, leading to environmental, social, and economic consequences. In developed countries, including Greece, food waste primarily occurs the final stage of consumption, making consumer behaviour a key factor in addressing this issue. This entry aims to highlight consumer behaviour regarding to food waste in Greece from 2012 to 2024 by synthesizing and evaluating published and unpublished research. Using a systematic review approach, this entry identifies the key trends, behavioural patterns, and determinants of food waste among Greek consumers. The findings highlight the impact of socioeconomic characteristics, economic conditions, and consumer awareness on food waste behaviour. Notably, financial constraints during economic crises have influenced waste reduction, while a growing awareness of food labelling and meal planning has emerged as a consistent trend over time. Additionally, segmentation analyses reveal distinct consumer groups based on their waste-conscious behaviours, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions. This entry contributes to the literature by offering a comprehensive overview of consumer behavioural trends over a 12-year period, identifying knowledge gaps, and proposing strategic directions for future research and policy-making. Understanding these behavioural patterns is essential for developing effective measures to reduce food waste and promote sustainable consumption practices.

food waste consumer behaviour sustainability Greece

Several studies indicate that in developed economies, the majority of food waste occurs during the final stages of the food supply chain, particularly in households ^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5]. As a result, food waste most commonly occurs during food purchasing, in food service sectors, and in households, largely influenced by cultural, social, and economic factors made by both producers and consumers ^[6]. As highlighted in the international literature, food waste occurring in the final stages of consumption is closely linked to consumer behaviour. The practices associated with food waste are complex and due to various factors ^[3]^[7]. Therefore, understanding the factors contributing to food waste among consumers is of vital importance ^[8]. Previous research has indicated that understanding household habits is directly related to comprehending consumer behaviour towards food waste ^[8]^[9]^[10]. Given that consumer purchasing habits are often routine-based ^[11] and that excessive food purchasing is a common practice ^[9]^[12], such habits contribute to food waste generation.

Another significant factor leading to increased food waste—combined with the purchase of large quantities of food—is the preparation of excessive meals. Consequently, reusing meal leftovers can contribute to reducing food waste ^[9]. Additionally, household habits related to meal planning and shopping routines also play a crucial role ^[8].

In developed countries, people purchase more food than in the past, and the quantity of food available for consumption has significantly increased over the past decade. These increases result in both overconsumption and heightened food waste ^[13]. The rise in household income, coupled with the decline in product prices and the abundance of food to meet consumer demands, has led to a general disregard for food waste. Consequently, food waste has increased, particularly in developed countries ^[2]^[13]. Large households ^[10] and those with high incomes ^[8] tend to waste the most food, while the role of age in food waste remains a topic of debate, as studies present conflicting findings ^[8]^[9]. Demographic factors affecting households have been shown to influence their behaviour towards food waste; however, this remains a subject of ongoing discussion, as there are studies supporting both perspectives.

The consequences of food waste require further attention, necessitating a deeper understanding of consumer behaviour. Preventing food waste generation appears to be the key response to this critical issue ^[14]^[15]^[16], as it is feasible, and there are numerous possibilities for reducing food waste—by more than 63%—particularly at the consumption stage ^[17]. Since consumers are generally opposed to food waste ^[18], their attitudes are expected to influence their behaviour regarding food waste. In the Decade of Action for achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), it is crucial to make progress at regional, national, and international levels. This is especially urgent, given that the data indicate significant work remains to be done in Greece ^[19]. Therefore, studying consumer behaviour is essential to provide answers and solutions to the issue of food waste.

The primary aim of this paper is to examine and synthesize research conducted in Greece between 2012 and 2024 on consumer behaviour and food waste. This entry identifies key behavioural patterns, the influence of socioeconomic and economic factors, and the effectiveness of various waste reduction strategies. By analyzing both published and unpublished studies, this research offers a broad perspective on how consumer attitudes and behaviours toward food waste have evolved over time.

Methodologically, this entry employs a systematic review approach, compiling findings from multiple research studies, including academic papers, master’s theses, and nationwide surveys. The synthesis of these studies allows for the identification of recurring themes, behavioural trends, and knowledge gaps in food waste research in Greece.

The key findings reveal that financial constraints, awareness of food labelling, and shopping habits significantly influence food waste behaviour. This entry also categorizes Greek consumers based on their engagement with waste reduction practices, providing a segmentation framework that can guide policy interventions. Additionally, this study highlights the impact of economic crises and external events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, on consumer food management habits.

This entry is structured as follows: Section 2 presents a detailed overview of food waste research in Greece, outlining key studies conducted from 2012 to 2024. Section 3 examines how the COVID-19 pandemic influenced consumer behaviour regarding food waste. Finally, Section 4 discusses overall trends, challenges, and policy implications emerging from the reviewed studies and proposes directions for future research.

References

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Theofanis Zacharatos

Prokopis Theodoridis

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Online Date: 10 Apr 2025

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