City Research Online

Abstract

It is estimated that a quarter to one-third of food intended for humans does not fulfil its original purpose. Yet, and despite its universally acknowledged importance for sustainability, mechanisms behind food waste generation are often studied unconnectedly from other challenges surrounding food systems. Here, we examine how concepts, assumptions and frameworks adopted in the food waste literature and the food systems literature overlap, contradict and complement one another. We discuss the current evidence on why and how food waste occurs and discuss modifications required for a conceptual framework to improve the integration between the two groups of studies. The resulting framework makes an explicit distinction between context-specific direct causes and context-independent indirect drivers of food waste, with practice theory interlinking them by portraying human behaviour and associated agency that translate the latter into the former. Central to our conceptualisation is an enhanced recognition that the ultimate cause of food waste is almost always natural decay, which cannot be prevented but can be managed through a systems approach with clear definitions of temporal boundaries.

Publication Type:	Article
Additional Information:	Original content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.
Subjects:	G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GE Environmental Sciences H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) Q Science > QH Natural history > QH301 Biology
Departments:	School of Health & Psychological Sciences School of Health & Psychological Sciences > Healthcare Services Research & Management
SWORD Depositor:	Symplectic Administrator

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