Criteria, Concerns, and Rewards: Towards Sustainable Consumer Behavior in Portugal

Abstract

Sustainability and the reduction of food waste are inseparable themes. In Portugal, 17 % of annual food production is wasted, much of it at household level. The aim of this study was to evaluate i) criteria for food choices, ii) concern about food waste at home, and iii) possible reward systems to promote more sustainable food choices among consumers. Data were collected through an online questionnaire during the month of November 2022, obtaining 366 responses. The results showed that the three main criteria when buying food are shelf life, price, and processing level of the food. At the level of consumption, most of the respondents showed concern with the amount of sugar as fat added to the processed foods (28 %). Most respondents (56 %) use little or no weekly meal planning to reduce food waste. Regarding the possible rewards for more sustainable choices, the most chosen option was the monetary reward (52 %), followed by discounts on local/organic/organic food products (41 %), and the choice of sustainable personal and home care products (28 %), suggesting an interest on the part of consumers in changing their consumption habits towards more sustainable habits in areas beyond food. The use of reward systems could be a starting point to create a society oriented towards more sustainable consumption choices, both in terms of food and the environment.