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<p>Food waste has been widely recognized as a global sustainability challenge, yet its drivers and dynamics in rural areas remain underexplored. This study examines household behaviour regarding food waste in rural Costa Rica through an empirical analysis based on 845 household interviews. A modified version of the Theory of Planned Behaviour was employed, integrating socioeconomic and local government behaviour variables to the model. Results indicate that values and norms jointly predict the intention to reduce food waste. Income and external contextual factors also emerge as structural determinants, while perceived behavioural control and other socioeconomic variables were excluded due to their lack of statistical significance. Beyond the model, the findings suggest that FW is not perceived as a pressing issue among rural residents, largely because food by-products are frequently repurposed for animal feed or composting. This circularity, embedded in local lifestyles and enabled by housing and land conditions, distinguishes rural practices from those observed in Costa Rican urban households, where space limitations reduce such reuse options. Overall, the study proposes a framework that contributes to the understanding of behavioural pathways for sustainable food waste management in rural areas of developing countries.</p>

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Food waste and rural households: variables influencing consumers behaviour

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年4月14日

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  • Mercedes Montero-Vega,
  • Laura Brenes-Peralta,
  • Diayner Baltodano-Zuñiga,
  • Bryan Roig Peraza,
  • Manuel García-Barquero

摘要

Food waste has been widely recognized as a global sustainability challenge, yet its drivers and dynamics in rural areas remain underexplored. This study examines household behaviour regarding food waste in rural Costa Rica through an empirical analysis based on 845 household interviews. A modified version of the Theory of Planned Behaviour was employed, integrating socioeconomic and local government behaviour variables to the model. Results indicate that values and norms jointly predict the intention to reduce food waste. Income and external contextual factors also emerge as structural determinants, while perceived behavioural control and other socioeconomic variables were excluded due to their lack of statistical significance. Beyond the model, the findings suggest that FW is not perceived as a pressing issue among rural residents, largely because food by-products are frequently repurposed for animal feed or composting. This circularity, embedded in local lifestyles and enabled by housing and land conditions, distinguishes rural practices from those observed in Costa Rican urban households, where space limitations reduce such reuse options. Overall, the study proposes a framework that contributes to the understanding of behavioural pathways for sustainable food waste management in rural areas of developing countries.