Farmer behavior and perception regarding food waste and unsold food

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyze farmer behavior, considering their attitude toward food waste with particular focus on their involvement in the last phase of the process, the retail phase. It assesses the different approaches applied to food waste management and its future. Design/methodology/approach – A sample of 35 farmers in the Porta Palazzo market, the biggest food market in the Turin Area (north-west Italy), was identified and a survey was carried out to determine the behavior and perception of farmers regarding food waste and the management of unsold food. Findings – Results show that there is a high level of interest on the ethical and charitable aspects of food waste and unsold food. However, awareness and knowledge of the initiatives organized by institutions are not sufficient. Practical implications – If policy makers and institutions have an understanding of farmer behavior, they can implement ad hoc initiatives to reduce food waste and build on the work already done by farmers. Additionally, farmers can help customers to better understand the products. Originality/value – This study analyzes the perception of the food waste phenomenon for one type of traditional operator in the food supply chain, the farmer. The originality of the paper lies in the fact that it has not only considered the perception of food waste but also the management of unsold food in a market area.