Influence of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Household Food Waste

Behavior in Davao City

Background of the study

This is equal to over a third of all food produced for human use being lost or

squandered. The Food and Agricultural Organization has estimated that this is equal to

four times the amount of food required yearly to address global hunger. Food waste has

a negative impact on the environment, society, and economy (Stefan, 2013) and has

been identified as one of the most critical global sustainability challenges by the

Sustainable Development Knowledge Platform. As a result, food waste reduction has

been included in the United Nations' 2030 Agenda's 17 Sustainable Development Goals

(SDGs) and is highlighted by SDG 12.3, which aims to "halve global per capita food

waste at the retail and consumer level and reduce food losses along production and

supply chains" by 2030.

Covid-19 has had a substantial impact on people's food purchase and

consumption behaviors within this context. Restaurants and bars were closed in several

nations throughout the world during lockdowns owing to stay-at-home mandates. As a

result, restaurant meal sales virtually ceased during the stay-at-home orders, but

grocery store and internet retailer food sales soared dramatically (Nayga and Zilberman,

2020). Certain food items in supermarkets have become scarce as a result of

disruptions in food supply systems (Richards and Rickard, 2020). Limits placed by the

lockdown and fear of disturbances in the global food supply have resulted in a shift in

purchasing behavior, such as an increase in household food supplies or a change in the

amount and type of food purchased (Sim et. al., 2020).

The response to the Covid-19 outbreak, which includes panic shopping at

grocery shops and restaurant closures, may have an impact on family food waste at a
 Influence of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Household Food Waste
Behavior in Davao City
time when food insecurity is on the rising. As a result, it is critical to determine whether

changes in food shopping and consumption behaviors as a result of Covid-19 have had

a noticeable effect on household food waste. Food waste is a significant environmental

issue, as agriculture accounts for a significant portion of greenhouse gas emissions.

When food is discarded in landfills to rot, it contributes significantly to the production of

methane, a strong greenhouse gas that contributes directly to global warming

(Scherhaufer et. al., 2018). Simultaneously, food waste in landfills releases hazardous

compounds into the soil, having a detrimental effect on groundwater (Tonini et. al.,

2018). Given that homes account for the majority of food waste and that Covid-19 has

had a substantial influence on hunger and food insecurity, it is critical to determine if

household food waste rose or decreased throughout the pandemic.

Previous research established that food waste is a result of consumer

demographic variables and that consumer decisions to reject food are context-

dependent (Setti et. al., 2018 and Ellison et. al., 2018). Thus, given the hidden nature of

the food waste problem, it is possible to gain a better understanding of consumer

behavior by focusing on their behaviors, routines, and habits (Lazell, 2016). Additionally,

food waste raises significant ethical concerns, as over 820 million people worldwide lack

access to adequate food, and many more consume low-quality diets that contribute to

micronutrient shortages and health problems (Bos-Brouwers et. al., 2020). Food waste

reduction has been the topic of research, and a number of recommendations have been

made, including showing respect for food and cooking abilities, as well as fostering a

flexible mindset in the face of unforeseen circumstances (Jribi et. al., 2020).
 Influence of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Household Food Waste
Behavior in Davao City
The scientific literature currently available does not provide significant evidence

about how families will respond to emergency events such as pandemics in terms of

food waste production. To effectively address this essential issue with significant

environmental and economic implications, the researcher surveyed home food

consumers in Davao City to see whether household food waste has altered during

Covid-19 and to determine the factors affecting household food waste.

Rationale

Covid-19 has had a tremendous impact on how people purchase and consume

food. Fears of food supply chain disruptions have resulted in an increase in the quantity

and type of food purchased by households. Increased food purchases, on the other

hand, could result in food waste, which would have a detrimental impact on the

environment in terms of greenhouse gas emissions and groundwater pollution. The

researcher performed a survey of household food buyers in Davao City to see whether

household food waste has changed as a result of the Covid-19 lockdown. Based on

prior study, the researcher will concentrate on food shopping, management, and

cooking, as well as concerns and views concerning food waste, in this questionnaire.

These characteristics, it is hypothesized, would change according on the geographical

pandemic situation. Additionally, the researcher wishes to ascertain whether residents

of other areas of Davao City are more impacted by the pandemic and whether this has

altered their influence on food purchasing and supply, causing them to pay more

attention to household waste and food management than residents of less affected
 Influence of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Household Food Waste
Behavior in Davao City
areas. Apart from this primary hypothesis, the researcher sought to determine the

relationship between demographic variables and people's ideas and behaviors, both

shifting and stable, about food waste in the context of COVID-19. Given that the

COVID-19 pandemic has lasted nearly a year since its outbreak, the findings of this

study will help the general public gain a better understanding of household food waste

and how to enhance their food consumption and management in a social structure

expected to adapt to continuous coexistence with COVID-19.

Objectives

This study is aimed to determine the following:

1. What is the demographic profile of the respondents in terms of

a. gender

b. location

c. household size

d. number of children in the household

e. household yearly income

f. employment status

2. Does food waste behavior vary in areas determined as COVID19 high risk and low

risk?

3. What is the influence of the COVID-19 Pandemic on household food waste behavior

in Davao City?
 Influence of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Household Food Waste
Behavior in Davao City
Data

After the retrieval of the survey questionnaires, the data gathered will be tallied,

tabulated, organized, and treated on a meaningful analysis and interpretation of data

with the following statistical tools:

1. Frequency. This will be used to determine the number of times the data value

occurs in the responses of the participants.

2. Percentage. This will be used to know the percentage of frequency.

Formula:

Percentage Distribution= f = (100%)

N
Where:

F=frequency

N=total number of respondents

3. Weighted Mean. This will be used in determining the responses of the

participants in the survey questionnaire

Formula:

Mean = S x F
N
Where:

F= frequency

S= score

N= total number of the respondents

 Influence of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Household Food Waste
Behavior in Davao City
4. Likert Scale. This will be used to know where the responses of the participants

belong.

SCALE INTERPRETATION VALUES

4 STRONGLY AGREE 3.80 – 4.79

3 AGREE 2.80 – 3.79

2 DISAGREE 1.80 – 2.79

1 STRONGLY DISAGREE 1.00 – 1.79

5. Pearson Product-Moment Correlation (r). This tool was used to determine the

relationship between the attitudes of the students toward homework and to their

academic performance.

By definition of a correlation coefficient, Pearson r can be computed by the

formula

Pearson r = rxyx=∑zxzy
n

To interpret the value of r, the following table of categorization was used.

Correlation Coefficient (r)

Correlation

±1.00 Perfect Correlation

±0.75-0.99 High Correlation

±0.51-0.74 Moderate High Correlation

±0.31-0.50 Moderate Low Correlation

±0.01-0.30 Low Correlation

 Influence of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Household Food Waste
Behavior in Davao City
0.0 No Correlation

Dependent and independent variables

Independent Variable Dependent Variable

a. COVID19
Pandemic
Household Food
b. Area’s Pandemic Waste Behavior in
Risk Status Davao City
(Low risk or High
Risk)

This framework is based on the IV-DV Model. An independent variable (IV) is a

variable that is manipulated by a researcher to investigate whether it consequently

brings change in another variable. This other variable, which is measured and predicted

to be dependent upon the IV, is therefore named the dependent variable (DV). For this

study, the researcher identified two independent variables namely the COVID19

Pandemic and the area’s pandemic risk status whether high risk or low risk. On the

dependent variable is the household food waste behavior in Davao City.

Methods

The data that will be gathered in this study will be analyzed using descriptive-

correlational statistics. The descriptive design is used to describe characteristics of a

population or phenomenon being studied. The correlational research method measures

the degree of correlation between two variables. Statistical treatments will be employed

in the conduct of this research.

 Influence of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Household Food Waste
Behavior in Davao City

Theory

This study is anchored in the Waste Management Theory developed by

Pongrácz (2004). Waste Management Theory is predicated on the premise that waste

management's primary goal is to avoid waste from posing a threat to human health or

the environment. A precise definition of trash is critical for developing a sustainable

waste management plan. Generally, present legislation addresses existing waste.

However, the definitions that emerge from this condition may contradict with waste

reduction goals, as something that already existing cannot be stopped from arising.

When a material is labeled as 'waste,' it is treated as such; hence, despite its declared

goal of waste prevention, legislation covertly accumulates garbage. Such definitions

have the intrinsic philosophical connotation of being incapable of facilitating a

sustainable waste management system.

 Influence of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Household Food Waste
Behavior in Davao City

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