Does dietary knowledge affect household food waste in the developing economy of China?

Based on the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) data for 2004, 2006, and 2009, this study employs a fixed-effects model to examine the impacts of the dietary knowledge of household food decision makers on the quantity of household food waste in terms of amount and calories levels. Specifically, the interaction effect between dietary knowledge and community development is explored. The results indicate that the dietary knowledge of the household food decision maker significantly impacts food waste and calories loss. With the development of the local community, the impacts of dietary knowledge on household food waste and calories loss seem to decrease. The heterogeneous impacts of dietary knowledge on food waste and calories loss in urban and rural areas and among different income groups are also observed. The findings contribute toward a better understanding of the issues related to household food waste and calories loss in China in the context of economic development and residents' increasing dietary knowledge.

Automated summary

Based on the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) data from 2004, 2006, and 2009, this study used a fixed-effects model to show that the dietary knowledge of household food decision makers has a significant impact on household food waste and calorie loss, and this impact seems to decrease with local community development. Additionally, heterogeneous impacts of dietary knowledge on food waste and calorie loss were observed in urban and rural areas and among different income groups.