Factors affecting food waste at food festivals: the moderating effect of “Camera Eats First”

Abstract

Food festivals play a significant role in driving economic growth and facilitating cultural exploration. However, they also present challenges to sustainability, particularly concerning food waste, which is further exacerbated by the pervasive "Camera Eats First" (CEF) phenomenon. Despite its importance, academic literature has given limited attention to this issue. This study bridges this gap by applying an extended value-attitude-behavior theory to explore food waste behaviors at food festivals, focusing on the moderating role of CEF. Employing partial least squares structural equation modeling and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis, it develops the Food Festival Consumption Values (FFCVs) model, incorporating factors like food taste, healthiness, appearance, peer influence, and festival atmosphere, tested with data from 452 consumers at the 22nd Macau Food Festival. Findings reveal direct influences of factors such as food taste, healthiness, and festival atmosphere on food waste behavior. However, the mediating and moderating effects of attitudes toward food waste and CEF exhibit mixed results. These results underscore the need for targeted waste reduction strategies, contributing to sustainable food festival management and aligning with United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 12.3, enhancing policy and stakeholder efforts toward sustainability.

Keywords:

• Food waste
• food festival consumption values
• Value–Attitude–Behavior theory
• Camera Eats First

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China.