Impact of COVID19 on Household Food Waste

Abstract

The pandemic of COVID19 has significantly changed consumers' food consumption and waste behaviors. Specifically, the main section of households’ food consumption shifted from food awayfrom- home to eating at home which could be connected with household food wastes. This study estimated the effect of COVID19 on the amount of household food wastes by using Consumer Behavior Survey for Food(CBSF) data. We analyzed the effect of COVID19 on household food waste emissions using the ordered logit model given the theory that food waste emissions are influenced by food prices and opportunity costs of food utilizing. We found that household food wastes increase after COVID19, and a change of the opportunity cost of food utilizing causes increase in food wastes. Based on results, we provide policy implications regarding reduction in food wastes.