A meta-analytical review of intervention experiments to reduce food waste
To reduce food waste, many behavioural intervention experiments have been conducted worldwide, but their effectiveness remains unclear. To assess their impacts, we present a meta-analysis based on 58 studies, selected after screening 1143 papers, which were conducted between 2011 and 2021 covering 2...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2022-01-01
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| Series: | Environmental Research Letters |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac72b6 |
| _version_ | 1797746979593256960 |
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| author | Xi Tian Ziqian Xia Jinliang Xie Chao Zhang Yaobin Liu Ming Xu |
| author_facet | Xi Tian Ziqian Xia Jinliang Xie Chao Zhang Yaobin Liu Ming Xu |
| author_sort | Xi Tian |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | To reduce food waste, many behavioural intervention experiments have been conducted worldwide, but their effectiveness remains unclear. To assess their impacts, we present a meta-analysis based on 58 studies, selected after screening 1143 papers, which were conducted between 2011 and 2021 covering 26 533 participants. We confirm that behavioural interventions have a moderate effect ( $z$ = 0.22) on food waste reduction, with education programs having the most significant impact and informational feedback having the least. We also show that interventions in elementary and middle school settings marginally improve the overall effect size ( P < 0.1), and controlled experiments exhibit a higher effect size compared to pre-post experiments in education interventions ( P < 0.05). Finally, we present a roadmap to guide future research in the next decade to further improve our understanding on the effects of behavioural interventions to reduce food waste. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T15:44:33Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-eba1d0dd05484e82a4472d15c8d4405b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1748-9326 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T15:44:33Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj.art-eba1d0dd05484e82a4472d15c8d4405b2023-08-09T15:32:56ZengIOP PublishingEnvironmental Research Letters1748-93262022-01-0117606404110.1088/1748-9326/ac72b6A meta-analytical review of intervention experiments to reduce food wasteXi Tian0Ziqian Xia1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9551-0024Jinliang Xie2Chao Zhang3Yaobin Liu4Ming Xu5Research Center for Central China Economic and Social Development, Nanchang University , Nanchang, People’s Republic of China; School of Economics and Management, Nanchang University , Nanchang, People’s Republic of China; Jiangxi Ecological Civilization Research Institute, Nanchang University , Nanchang, People’s Republic of ChinaSchool of Qianhu, Nanchang University , Nanchang, People’s Republic of China; School of Economics and Management, Tongji University , Shanghai, People’s Republic of ChinaSchool of Economics and Management, Nanchang University , Nanchang, People’s Republic of ChinaSchool of Economics and Management, Tongji University , Shanghai, People’s Republic of ChinaResearch Center for Central China Economic and Social Development, Nanchang University , Nanchang, People’s Republic of China; School of Economics and Management, Nanchang University , Nanchang, People’s Republic of ChinaSchool of Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan , Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America; Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Michigan , Ann Arbor, MI, United States of AmericaTo reduce food waste, many behavioural intervention experiments have been conducted worldwide, but their effectiveness remains unclear. To assess their impacts, we present a meta-analysis based on 58 studies, selected after screening 1143 papers, which were conducted between 2011 and 2021 covering 26 533 participants. We confirm that behavioural interventions have a moderate effect ( $z$ = 0.22) on food waste reduction, with education programs having the most significant impact and informational feedback having the least. We also show that interventions in elementary and middle school settings marginally improve the overall effect size ( P < 0.1), and controlled experiments exhibit a higher effect size compared to pre-post experiments in education interventions ( P < 0.05). Finally, we present a roadmap to guide future research in the next decade to further improve our understanding on the effects of behavioural interventions to reduce food waste.https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac72b6food wastemeta-analysisbehavioural interventionpro-environmental behaviour |
| spellingShingle | Xi Tian Ziqian Xia Jinliang Xie Chao Zhang Yaobin Liu Ming Xu A meta-analytical review of intervention experiments to reduce food waste Environmental Research Letters food waste meta-analysis behavioural intervention pro-environmental behaviour |
| title | A meta-analytical review of intervention experiments to reduce food waste |
| title_full | A meta-analytical review of intervention experiments to reduce food waste |
| title_fullStr | A meta-analytical review of intervention experiments to reduce food waste |
| title_full_unstemmed | A meta-analytical review of intervention experiments to reduce food waste |
| title_short | A meta-analytical review of intervention experiments to reduce food waste |
| title_sort | meta analytical review of intervention experiments to reduce food waste |
| topic | food waste meta-analysis behavioural intervention pro-environmental behaviour |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac72b6 |
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