Summary

The causes of food waste in developing countries are mainly connected to malpractices in harvesting, storage, and cooling facilities, albeit many in developing countries live on the margins of food insecurity. Thereby, efforts to reducefood waste represents a potential opportunity to enhance both food security and environmental sustainability. Nonetheless, no empirical studies have done to examine the patterns and quantities of the household food wastage in Sri Lanka and its imminent effects on food security and environmental
sustainability. The overarching goal of the proposed studies is to identify household food waste patterns and behaviors, its effect on household food security and household/consumer understanding of environmental sustainability and responsible consumption. Identifying specific food waste behaviors will help us to evaluate its relationship with household food security and shed some light on the ‘food waste paradox’ in the Sri Lankan context. Though environmental sustainability and responsible consumption are novel research avenues for Sri Lanka, we will investigate the level of commitment and self-perceived importance of environmental sustainability in households.

Objectives

1. Identify specific food waste behaviors displayed by urban and rural households of Sri Lanka
2. Evaluate the effects of food waste behaviors on household food security in urban and rural
households in Sri Lanka
3. Examine the role of household food waste on self-perceived environment sustainability and
responsible consumption by households in Sri Lanka

Major Equipment Facilitated by Grant