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Prof. Dr. Matteo Vittuari
Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy

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0 Rural Policy
0 Behavioral Economics
0 agricultural and food policy
0 Life Cycle Thinking
0 Food losses and waste

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Food losses and waste
Life Cycle Thinking
Behavioral Economics

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Journal article
Published: 24 July 2021 in Resources, Conservation and Recycling
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The COVID-19 outbreak forced national governments to the adoption of social distancing and movement limitation measures aimed to reduce the diffusion of the virus and mitigate its highly disruptive impact on the healthcare systems. Reduced income, job insecurity, distribution system interruptions, product shortages, localized price hikes, and time availability resulted in changes in food-related behaviors of households, including food waste generation. Although the significant progress achieved in the understanding of the multidimensional determinants of food losses and waste, no study has been considering the role of uncertainty generated by exogenous generalized shocks on consumer behavior. Building on an original and nationally representative survey, this work aims to investigate the impact of the measures introduced to contain the outbreak of COVID-19 on the main behavioral factors underpinning household food waste generation. The study develops a theoretical model introducing uncertainty validated through a Structural Equations Modelling approach. Results showed that in Italy during the quarantine period, declared household food waste decreased, with more than half of the respondents reporting to waste less. The model suggested that the amount of material and non-material resources that consumers can dedicate to food-related activities represents the most influential factor for the generation of household food waste and that uncertainty is significantly affecting the drivers and indirectly influencing the self-declared values of food waste. Results suggest several potential policy implications, of which the most relevant being related to the importance of stimulating improvements in food management opportunities at home.

ACS Style

Matteo Vittuari; Matteo Masotti; Elisa Iori; Luca Falasconi; Tullia Gallina Toschi; Andrea Segrè. Does the COVID-19 external shock matter on household food waste? The impact of social distancing measures during the lockdown. Resources, Conservation and Recycling 2021, 174, 105815 .

AMA Style

Matteo Vittuari, Matteo Masotti, Elisa Iori, Luca Falasconi, Tullia Gallina Toschi, Andrea Segrè. Does the COVID-19 external shock matter on household food waste? The impact of social distancing measures during the lockdown. Resources, Conservation and Recycling. 2021; 174 ():105815.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Matteo Vittuari; Matteo Masotti; Elisa Iori; Luca Falasconi; Tullia Gallina Toschi; Andrea Segrè. 2021. "Does the COVID-19 external shock matter on household food waste? The impact of social distancing measures during the lockdown." Resources, Conservation and Recycling 174, no. : 105815.

Perspective article
Published: 09 March 2021 in Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems
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The COVID-19 pandemic unveiled the fragility of food sovereignty in cities and confirmed the close connection urban dwellers have with food. Although the pandemic was not responsible for a systemic failure, it suggested how citizens would accept and indeed support a transition toward more localized food production systems. As this attitudinal shift is aligned with the sustainability literature, this work aims to explore the tools and actions needed for a policy framework transformation that recognizes the multiple benefits of food systems, while considering local needs and circumstances. This perspective paper reviews the trends in production and consumption, and systematizes several impacts emerged across European food systems in response to the first wave of pandemic emergency, with the final aim of identifying challenges and future strategies for research and innovation toward the creation of resilient and sustainable city/region food systems. The proposal does not support a return to traditional small-scale economies that might not cope with the growing global population. It instead stands to reconstruct and upscale such connections using a “think globally act locally” mind-set, engaging local communities, and making existing and future citizen-led food system initiatives more sustainable. The work outlines a set of recommended actions for policy-makers: support innovative and localized food production, training and use of information and communication technology for food production and distribution; promote cross-pollination among city/region food systems; empower schools as agents of change in food provision and education about food systems; and support the development of assessment methodologies and the application of policy tools to ensure that the different sustainability dimensions of the food chain are considered.

ACS Style

Matteo Vittuari; Giovanni Bazzocchi; Sonia Blasioli; Francesco Cirone; Albino Maggio; Francesco Orsini; Jerneja Penca; Mara Petruzzelli; Kathrin Specht; Samir Amghar; Aleksandar-Mihail Atanasov; Teresa Bastia; Inti Bertocchi; Antoine Coudard; Andrea Crepaldi; Adam Curtis; Runrid Fox-Kämper; Anca Elena Gheorghica; Agnès Lelièvre; Pere Muñoz; Erwin Nolde; Josè Pascual-Fernández; Giuseppina Pennisi; Bernd Pölling; Lèlia Reynaud-Desmet; Isabella Righini; Youssef Rouphael; Vèronique Saint-Ges; Antonella Samoggia; Shima Shaystej; Macu da Silva; Susana Toboso Chavero; Pietro Tonini; Gorazd Trušnovec; Benjamin L. Vidmar; Gara Villalba; Fabio De Menna. Envisioning the Future of European Food Systems: Approaches and Research Priorities After COVID-19. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems 2021, 5, 1 .

AMA Style

Matteo Vittuari, Giovanni Bazzocchi, Sonia Blasioli, Francesco Cirone, Albino Maggio, Francesco Orsini, Jerneja Penca, Mara Petruzzelli, Kathrin Specht, Samir Amghar, Aleksandar-Mihail Atanasov, Teresa Bastia, Inti Bertocchi, Antoine Coudard, Andrea Crepaldi, Adam Curtis, Runrid Fox-Kämper, Anca Elena Gheorghica, Agnès Lelièvre, Pere Muñoz, Erwin Nolde, Josè Pascual-Fernández, Giuseppina Pennisi, Bernd Pölling, Lèlia Reynaud-Desmet, Isabella Righini, Youssef Rouphael, Vèronique Saint-Ges, Antonella Samoggia, Shima Shaystej, Macu da Silva, Susana Toboso Chavero, Pietro Tonini, Gorazd Trušnovec, Benjamin L. Vidmar, Gara Villalba, Fabio De Menna. Envisioning the Future of European Food Systems: Approaches and Research Priorities After COVID-19. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems. 2021; 5 ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Matteo Vittuari; Giovanni Bazzocchi; Sonia Blasioli; Francesco Cirone; Albino Maggio; Francesco Orsini; Jerneja Penca; Mara Petruzzelli; Kathrin Specht; Samir Amghar; Aleksandar-Mihail Atanasov; Teresa Bastia; Inti Bertocchi; Antoine Coudard; Andrea Crepaldi; Adam Curtis; Runrid Fox-Kämper; Anca Elena Gheorghica; Agnès Lelièvre; Pere Muñoz; Erwin Nolde; Josè Pascual-Fernández; Giuseppina Pennisi; Bernd Pölling; Lèlia Reynaud-Desmet; Isabella Righini; Youssef Rouphael; Vèronique Saint-Ges; Antonella Samoggia; Shima Shaystej; Macu da Silva; Susana Toboso Chavero; Pietro Tonini; Gorazd Trušnovec; Benjamin L. Vidmar; Gara Villalba; Fabio De Menna. 2021. "Envisioning the Future of European Food Systems: Approaches and Research Priorities After COVID-19." Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems 5, no. : 1.

Journal article
Published: 16 February 2021 in Ecological Economics
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In developed countries, the largest share of food is wasted at the household level. Household food waste results from a complex interaction between economic factors, well-established routines, and social norms. To explain this interaction, we propose a simple model of waste behavior where the individual and social economic costs generated by wasting are counterbalanced by the security and status generated through acquiring excess food, thus causing a social dilemma. This trade-off is mediated by social capital, which measures the intensity with which each individual within a community evaluates the negative effects of waste. We test this model's hypotheses using a 2016 dataset of food behaviors and opinions of Italian households, which we merge with variables known to elicit the local level of social capital. We find individual food waste levels to be negatively related with social capital. Contrastingly, status concerns with respect to food and the lack of organizational abilities are both more prevalent in low social capital areas, and are related to increased food waste. This relationship is mediated by income.

ACS Style

Simone Piras; Francesca Pancotto; Simone Righi; Matteo Vittuari; Marco Setti. Community social capital and status: The social dilemma of food waste. Ecological Economics 2021, 183, 106954 .

AMA Style

Simone Piras, Francesca Pancotto, Simone Righi, Matteo Vittuari, Marco Setti. Community social capital and status: The social dilemma of food waste. Ecological Economics. 2021; 183 ():106954.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Simone Piras; Francesca Pancotto; Simone Righi; Matteo Vittuari; Marco Setti. 2021. "Community social capital and status: The social dilemma of food waste." Ecological Economics 183, no. : 106954.

Journal article
Published: 25 January 2021 in Journal of Rural Studies
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The breakdown of socialist agriculture in post-Soviet countries generated a large number of smallholders, of which only a minority turned to entrepreneurial agriculture. With the largest number of family farms per capita in Europe, Moldova represents an exemplary case study to explore the livelihood trajectories of these land recipients. Relying on an original smallholder survey, we analyse the role of farming in their livelihoods two decades after land privatisation. Two groups are identified: ‘peasants’, who represent a large majority, and ‘entrepreneurial’ farmers. The former tend to diversify their livelihoods off-farm; the latter turned agriculture into a proper full-time business but maintain a small-size compared to the corporate farms that succeeded the Soviet kolkhozy and sovkhozy. The two groups are found to share similar goals and values, but while ‘entrepreneurs’ pursue profit maximisation, ‘peasants’ set their working pace based on family needs. Still, some ‘peasants’ invest part of their off-farm income in agriculture to intensify production and commercialise ‘niche’ products. De-commodification, internalisation, mutual aid mechanisms, and reliance on ‘traditional markets’ emerge as strategies to preserve autonomy vis-à-vis risky modern markets, rather than a mere outcome of necessity. Despite such aspirations of most smallholders, EU-driven rural development policies require them to behave as ‘entrepreneurs’.

ACS Style

Simone Piras; Svetlana Botnarenco; Matteo Masotti; Matteo Vittuari. Post-Soviet smallholders between entrepreneurial farming and diversification. Livelihood pathways in rural Moldova. Journal of Rural Studies 2021, 82, 315 -327.

AMA Style

Simone Piras, Svetlana Botnarenco, Matteo Masotti, Matteo Vittuari. Post-Soviet smallholders between entrepreneurial farming and diversification. Livelihood pathways in rural Moldova. Journal of Rural Studies. 2021; 82 ():315-327.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Simone Piras; Svetlana Botnarenco; Matteo Masotti; Matteo Vittuari. 2021. "Post-Soviet smallholders between entrepreneurial farming and diversification. Livelihood pathways in rural Moldova." Journal of Rural Studies 82, no. : 315-327.

Review
Published: 18 December 2020 in Measuring Business Excellence
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Purpose Agri-food supply chains are facing a number of challenges, which cause inefficiencies resulting in the waste of natural and economic resources, and in negative environmental and social impacts. Food waste (FW) is a result of such inefficiencies and supply chain actors search for economically viable innovations to prevent and reduce it. This study aims to analyse the drivers and the barriers that affect the decision of supply chain operators to adopt innovations (technological – TI, organisational – OI and marketing – MI) to reduce FW. Design/methodology/approach The analysis was carried out using a four-step approach that included: a literature review to identify factors affecting the decision to adopt innovations; analysis of FW drivers and reduction possibilities along agri-food supply chains through innovations; mapping the results of Steps 1 and 2 and deriving conclusions regarding the factors affecting the adoption of innovations to reduce and prevent FW. Findings Results show that different types of innovations have a high potential in reducing and preventing FW along the supply chain; however, they still must be economically feasible to be adopted by decision makers in the food supply chain. TI, OI and MI are often interrelated and can trigger each other. When it comes to a combination of different types of innovation to reduce and prevent FW, a good example of combining TI, OI and MI may be observed in the retail sector in Europe. Here, innovative smartphone apps (TI) to promote the sale of products nearing their expiration dates (OI in terms of organising the sales differently and MI in terms of marketing it differently) were developed and adopted via different retailing channels, leading to the creation of a new business model. Practical implications This study analyses the drivers of FW generation together with the factors affecting the decision to adopt innovations to reduce it and provides solutions to supply chain operators to prevent and reduce FW through different types of innovations. Originality/value Literature has not systematically addressed innovations aiming at the reduction of FW yet. This paper provides a comprehensive literature review of the determinants of innovation adoption and offers a novel view on the problem of FW reduction by means of innovation, by linking factors affecting the decision to innovate with FW drivers.

ACS Style

Lusine Aramyan; Matthew Grainger; Katja Logatcheva; Simone Piras; Marco Setti; Gavin Stewart; Matteo Vittuari. Food waste reduction in supply chains through innovations: a review. Measuring Business Excellence 2020, ahead-of-p, 1 .

AMA Style

Lusine Aramyan, Matthew Grainger, Katja Logatcheva, Simone Piras, Marco Setti, Gavin Stewart, Matteo Vittuari. Food waste reduction in supply chains through innovations: a review. Measuring Business Excellence. 2020; ahead-of-p (ahead-of-p):1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Lusine Aramyan; Matthew Grainger; Katja Logatcheva; Simone Piras; Marco Setti; Gavin Stewart; Matteo Vittuari. 2020. "Food waste reduction in supply chains through innovations: a review." Measuring Business Excellence ahead-of-p, no. ahead-of-p: 1.

Journal article
Published: 12 August 2020 in Journal of Cleaner Production
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In order to achieve a sustainable diet, perfect understanding and coordination of the production and consumption aspects of the food system need to be achieved, including inefficiencies as food waste. Food waste rates in developed countries are increasingly perceived as a failure in the system. Within school canteens high levels of food waste are generated, in a location where habits about sustainable consumption should be transmitted to the next generation. This gap between education on best practices and student behavior should be addressed by contextualizing and characterizing meal services within sustainable diets. This research assessed the impacts of food consumption and wastage, including the nutritional characteristics through a case study in a school canteen located in Columbia, Missouri, US. It combines life cycle assessment, environmental life cycle costing, nutritional evaluation, and a food waste audit using weighing, visual assessment, and sorting techniques to estimate the food waste of different canteen users (students and faculty members). The novelty of this research relies on the integration of recognized life cycle thinking methods, including the role of embedded impacts within environmental, cost, and nutritional attributes. Food wasted at the canteen represented between 28-53% (by weight) across canteen users of the food served as meals, accounting for 10-35% of nutrients. The highest environmental contribution occurred at the food procurement stage (85%), while the lowest occurred at food preparation (2%). The largest costs are associated with food preparation activities and food purchases (39% meal cost). The embedded food waste impact accounts for 40-57% of the total global warming potential and about 27% of the total cost. Interventions are proposed and evaluated to improve the diet performance, which could be extended to further canteen scenarios.

ACS Style

Laura García-Herrero; Christine Costello; Fabio De Menna; Lydia Schreiber; Matteo Vittuari. Eating away at sustainability. Food consumption and waste patterns in a US school canteen. Journal of Cleaner Production 2020, 279, 123571 .

AMA Style

Laura García-Herrero, Christine Costello, Fabio De Menna, Lydia Schreiber, Matteo Vittuari. Eating away at sustainability. Food consumption and waste patterns in a US school canteen. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2020; 279 ():123571.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Laura García-Herrero; Christine Costello; Fabio De Menna; Lydia Schreiber; Matteo Vittuari. 2020. "Eating away at sustainability. Food consumption and waste patterns in a US school canteen." Journal of Cleaner Production 279, no. : 123571.

Journal article
Published: 15 July 2020 in Sustainability
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About one third of all food produced for human consumption is wasted. Along with a lively debate on food loss and waste definition and quantification, growing attention is dedicated to the faceted dimensions of consumers’ food waste. Drivers, effects, and mitigating factors have been mainly studied in isolation, with limited attention paid to their interrelationships. This study aims to contribute to a better understanding of the underlying relationship between the causes of food waste and consumers’ perception of their role and of their concern on food waste effects and mitigating factors. The article draws on a survey submitted to 938 respondents while shopping at a supermarket in Italy in 2015. Data were processed by principal components to identify latent dimensions of consumer behavior, and a cluster analysis was performed to identify homogenous groups of consumers. Results emphasize the complexity of the relationship between consumers and food resources. They suggest that while consumers are aware about food waste as a global issue, they often fail to identify the individual contribution they might provide for its prevention and reduction. The article also detects three groups of consumers with different approaches to food waste management and a specific perception of the food waste phenomenon.

ACS Style

Matteo Vittuari; Luca Falasconi; Matteo Masotti; Simone Piras; Andrea Segrè; Marco Setti. ‘Not in My Bin’: Consumer’s Understanding and Concern of Food Waste Effects and Mitigating Factors. Sustainability 2020, 12, 5685 .

AMA Style

Matteo Vittuari, Luca Falasconi, Matteo Masotti, Simone Piras, Andrea Segrè, Marco Setti. ‘Not in My Bin’: Consumer’s Understanding and Concern of Food Waste Effects and Mitigating Factors. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (14):5685.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Matteo Vittuari; Luca Falasconi; Matteo Masotti; Simone Piras; Andrea Segrè; Marco Setti. 2020. "‘Not in My Bin’: Consumer’s Understanding and Concern of Food Waste Effects and Mitigating Factors." Sustainability 12, no. 14: 5685.

Journal article
Published: 04 June 2020 in Resources, Conservation and Recycling
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Residues from the food manufacturing industry require management options with the best overall environmental outcome. The identification of sustainable solutions depends however, on many influencing factors such as energy input, transport distance, and substituted product. This study shows the influence of the choice of substituted products on the overall greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for three specific food side-flows and their treatment in the European Union: animal blood, apple pomace and brewers’ spent grain (BSG). In a direct comparison of possible treatment options, it is notable that the conversion to food ingredients (valorisation) does not always result in reduced environmental net impacts (GHG savings), which means that other options at lower levels of the waste hierarchy might be more beneficial to the environment. The further use of apple pomace or BSG for the production of food ingredients is only advantageous if the processing emissions are smaller than the emissions from the substituted products. The use of food side-flows as animal feed shows environmental advantages in all scenarios, as the use of conventional feed, such as soybean meal or hay, is reduced and so are the GHG emissions. The anaerobic digestion of food side-flows is associated with significant GHG emissions, but alternative energy also display a high GHG factor when based on fossil resources. The measuring of circularity in the food sector is a challenge in itself due to the complexity of renewable materials. This study shall help to understand the interwoven influences of certain parameters to the results.

ACS Style

S. Scherhaufer; J. Davis; P. Metcalfe; S. Gollnow; F. Colin; F. De Menna; M. Vittuari; K. Östergren. Environmental assessment of the valorisation and recycling of selected food production side flows. Resources, Conservation and Recycling 2020, 161, 104921 .

AMA Style

S. Scherhaufer, J. Davis, P. Metcalfe, S. Gollnow, F. Colin, F. De Menna, M. Vittuari, K. Östergren. Environmental assessment of the valorisation and recycling of selected food production side flows. Resources, Conservation and Recycling. 2020; 161 ():104921.

Chicago/Turabian Style

S. Scherhaufer; J. Davis; P. Metcalfe; S. Gollnow; F. Colin; F. De Menna; M. Vittuari; K. Östergren. 2020. "Environmental assessment of the valorisation and recycling of selected food production side flows." Resources, Conservation and Recycling 161, no. : 104921.

Journal article
Published: 06 May 2020 in Energies
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Economies have begun to shift from linear to circular, adopting, among others, waste-to-energy approaches. Waste management is known to be a paramount challenge, and food waste (FW) in particular, has gained the interest of several actors due to its potential impacts and energy recovery opportunities. However, the selection of alternative valorization scenarios can pose several queries in certain contexts. This paper evaluates four FW valorization scenarios based on anaerobic digestion and composting, in comparison to landfilling, by applying a consistent decision-making framework through a combination of linear programming, Life Cycle Thinking (LCT), and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). The evaluation was built upon a case study of five universities in Costa Rica and portrayed the trade-offs between environmental impacts and cost categories from the scenarios and their side flows. Results indicate that the landfill scenario entails higher Global Warming Potential and Fresh Water Eutrophication impacts than the valorization scenarios; however, other impact categories and costs are affected. Centralized recovery facilities can increase the Global Warming Potential and the Land Use compared to semi-centralized ones. Experts provided insights, regarding the ease of adoption of composting, in contrast to the potential of energy sources substitution and economic savings from anaerobic digestion.

ACS Style

Laura Brenes-Peralta; María F. Jiménez-Morales; Rooel Campos-Rodríguez; Fabio De Menna; Matteo Vittuari. Decision-Making Process in the Circular Economy: A Case Study on University Food Waste-to-Energy Actions in Latin America. Energies 2020, 13, 2291 .

AMA Style

Laura Brenes-Peralta, María F. Jiménez-Morales, Rooel Campos-Rodríguez, Fabio De Menna, Matteo Vittuari. Decision-Making Process in the Circular Economy: A Case Study on University Food Waste-to-Energy Actions in Latin America. Energies. 2020; 13 (9):2291.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Laura Brenes-Peralta; María F. Jiménez-Morales; Rooel Campos-Rodríguez; Fabio De Menna; Matteo Vittuari. 2020. "Decision-Making Process in the Circular Economy: A Case Study on University Food Waste-to-Energy Actions in Latin America." Energies 13, no. 9: 2291.

Journal article
Published: 07 January 2020 in Agricultural and Food Economics
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About one third of global edible food is lost or wasted along the supply chain, causing the wastage of embedded natural and economic resources. Life cycle methodologies can be applied to identify sustainable and viable prevention and valorization routes needed to prevent such inefficiencies. However, no systemic approach has been developed so far to guide practitioners and stakeholders. Specifically, the goal and scoping phase (e.g. problem assessed or system function) can be characterized by a large flexibility, and the comparability between food waste scenarios could be not ensured. Within the Horizon2020 project Resource Efficient Food and dRink for the Entire Supply cHain, this study aimed to provide practitioners with guidance on how to combine life cycle assessment and environmental life cycle costing in the context of food waste. Recent literature was reviewed to identify relevant methodological aspects, possible commonly adopted approaches, main differences among studies and standards and protocols, main challenges, and knowledge gaps. Basing on this review, an analytical framework with a set of recommendations was developed encompassing different assessment situations. The framework intends to provide a step by step guidance for food waste practitioners, and it is composed of a preliminary section on study purpose definition, three decision trees—respectively on assessment situation(s), costing approach, and type of study (footprint vs. intervention)—and two sets of recommendations. Recommendations can be applied to all levels of the food waste hierarchy, stating a generic order of preference for handling food chain side flows. This consistent and integrated life cycle approach should ensure a better understanding of the impact of specific interventions, thus supporting informed private and public decision making and promoting the design of sustainable and cost-efficient interventions and a more efficient food supply chains.

ACS Style

Fabio De Menna; Jennifer Davis; Karin Östergren; Nicole Unger; Marion Loubiere; Matteo Vittuari. A combined framework for the life cycle assessment and costing of food waste prevention and valorization: an application to school canteens. Agricultural and Food Economics 2020, 8, 1 -11.

AMA Style

Fabio De Menna, Jennifer Davis, Karin Östergren, Nicole Unger, Marion Loubiere, Matteo Vittuari. A combined framework for the life cycle assessment and costing of food waste prevention and valorization: an application to school canteens. Agricultural and Food Economics. 2020; 8 (1):1-11.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Fabio De Menna; Jennifer Davis; Karin Östergren; Nicole Unger; Marion Loubiere; Matteo Vittuari. 2020. "A combined framework for the life cycle assessment and costing of food waste prevention and valorization: an application to school canteens." Agricultural and Food Economics 8, no. 1: 1-11.

Journal article
Published: 26 December 2019 in Journal of Cleaner Production
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An efficient energy use in the food supply chain (FSC) is a major policy priority, considering the dual challenge of decreasing non-renewable resource availability and increasing world population. This article is one of two that analyzes the concept of the “dual energy waste” caused by food losses and waste (FLW): (i) nutritional energy and (ii) embodied energy used to produce food. Part A focused on the upstream segments (production, transport, and processing) of the United States FSC. In Part B the downstream segments (distribution, transport, home and out-of-home consumption) are analyzed. All direct and indirect energy inputs involved in food produced for domestic use in the USA were considered. From 2001 to 2015 the average energy use in the downstream part of FSC was 6,000 ± 550 PJ (about 5.8% of total energy use), while FLW were estimated at 57.8 Mt. This caused 370 PJ of nutritional energy waste, 2,250 PJ of embodied energy waste, and a wasted energy cost of almost $28 billion. Animal products represented only 34% of the FLW mass but generated 60% of the embodied energy waste. Appropriate food waste reduction strategies such as improved demand forecasts, more efficient product handling, discounted price on nearly expired foods, clearer product-life labeling, and more careful planning by consumers, could achieve energy saving and reduce the United States fossil fuel dependence and greenhouse gas emissions.

ACS Style

Matteo Vittuari; Marco Pagani; Thomas G. Johnson; Fabio De Menna. Impacts and costs of embodied and nutritional energy of food waste in the US food system: Distribution and consumption (Part B). Journal of Cleaner Production 2019, 252, 119857 .

AMA Style

Matteo Vittuari, Marco Pagani, Thomas G. Johnson, Fabio De Menna. Impacts and costs of embodied and nutritional energy of food waste in the US food system: Distribution and consumption (Part B). Journal of Cleaner Production. 2019; 252 ():119857.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Matteo Vittuari; Marco Pagani; Thomas G. Johnson; Fabio De Menna. 2019. "Impacts and costs of embodied and nutritional energy of food waste in the US food system: Distribution and consumption (Part B)." Journal of Cleaner Production 252, no. : 119857.

Journal article
Published: 07 October 2019 in Journal of Cleaner Production
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Energy consumption in the food supply chain (FSC) of modern societies represents a major problem given decreasing supplies of fossil fuel resources, climate change concerns, and growing population. This two-part article explores the “twofold energy waste” generated by food losses and waste (FLW): nutritional energy and “embodied energy” used to produce the food. The paper demonstrates how twofold energy waste has a significant impact on USA’s national energy balances. In Part A the upstream segments (production, transport, and processing) of the United States FSC is analyzed, while the downstream segments (distribution, transport, home consumption, and out of home consumption) is discussed in Part B. In combination, the two parts consider all direct and indirect energy consumed in food produced for domestic use. From 2001 to 2015 the average energy use in the upstream FSC was 5800 ± 150 PJ (about 5.6% of total energy use), while FLW were estimated as 19.5 Mt, generating a waste of 144 PJ of nutritional energy and 145 PJ of embodied energy. The cost of this wasted energy reached almost 1.7 billion constant 2015 $. Animal products represent only 24% of the FLW mass but generate 57% of the embodied energy waste. Appropriate food waste reduction policies are briefly discussed. These policies could achieve a twofold energy saving that could contribute to reduce the United States fossil fuel dependence and greenhouse gases emissions.

ACS Style

Marco Pagani; Fabio De Menna; Thomas G. Johnson; Matteo Vittuari. Impacts and costs of embodied and nutritional energy of food losses in the US food system: farming and processing (Part A). Journal of Cleaner Production 2019, 244, 118730 .

AMA Style

Marco Pagani, Fabio De Menna, Thomas G. Johnson, Matteo Vittuari. Impacts and costs of embodied and nutritional energy of food losses in the US food system: farming and processing (Part A). Journal of Cleaner Production. 2019; 244 ():118730.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Marco Pagani; Fabio De Menna; Thomas G. Johnson; Matteo Vittuari. 2019. "Impacts and costs of embodied and nutritional energy of food losses in the US food system: farming and processing (Part A)." Journal of Cleaner Production 244, no. : 118730.

Journal article
Published: 25 September 2019 in Waste Management
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The challenge of increasing food demand due to population growth urges all stakeholders to act against food losses and waste, especially in light of their environmental, cost, and social impacts. In developed countries, awareness raising, and prevention are particularly important at the consumption level, where food waste mainly occurs. In this sense, public school canteens represent a unique setting, because of their capacity of conveying food habits, while sustainably managing available resources. This research assessed the environmental and cost impact of food consumption and wastage in public school canteens through a case study in Italy. It combined life cycle assessment, environmental life cycle costing, and quarter-waste visual methods. The functional unit was defined as the average meal provided by the catering service to 3–10 years old students. Primary data on type and amounts of purchased food, transport, and utilities consumption were provided by the catering service, while food waste assessment was performed in selected representative school canteens. Secondary data on background processes were mainly sourced from databases and literature. Food waste at schools represented 20–29% of the prepared meal, depending on students’ age and seasonal menu. The global warming potential (GWP) of the average meal was 1.11–1.50 kg CO2-eq, mostly due to the food production impact. The meal preparation had the largest impact on costs. When considering embedded impacts, food waste was responsible for 14–18% of GWP and 6–11% of the costs. The sensitivity analysis showed promising environmental and cost reductions by introducing changes in the meal composition and preparation.

ACS Style

Laura García-Herrero; Fabio De Menna; Matteo Vittuari. Food waste at school. The environmental and cost impact of a canteen meal. Waste Management 2019, 100, 249 -258.

AMA Style

Laura García-Herrero, Fabio De Menna, Matteo Vittuari. Food waste at school. The environmental and cost impact of a canteen meal. Waste Management. 2019; 100 ():249-258.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Laura García-Herrero; Fabio De Menna; Matteo Vittuari. 2019. "Food waste at school. The environmental and cost impact of a canteen meal." Waste Management 100, no. : 249-258.

Journal article
Published: 14 June 2019 in Sustainable Production and Consumption
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A trade-off is faced by products and services’ providers: reaching economic profitability while respecting the environment and benefiting the society. A sustainability balance is fundamental to satisfy human needs in a resource-scarce global context. Consumers’ behaviour plays a key role on sustainability due to its purchase power, but sometimes the absence of information or fully label understanding results into uninformed decisions. A highly processed product widely consumed in developed countries is chocolate, despite the environmental, economic, and social impacts of its production. The aim of this research is to identify the perception of consumers regarding the sustainability of the chocolate life cycle and compare it with experts’ opinion, and evidences from current studies. Special attention on food loss and waste has been made due to its relevance in the sustainability sphere. A combination of literature review and consultation to consumers and chocolate value-chain experts evidenced the gap between what is expected by consumers and what is recognized by experts and literature. Lack of fully understanding of labels, missing information about cocoa crops and its connection with deforestation or, the absence of studies dealing with the social, economic and environmental impacts of chocolate life cycle have been identified as some of the gaps. These could be fulfilled by improving the lack of a common assessment method applied to measure sustainability in a comparative way, the dearth of buyers’ trust to certifications by enhancing its meaning, and the poverty of communication received and understood about sustainable products by targeting specific consumers’ needs.

ACS Style

Laura García-Herrero; Fabio De Menna; Matteo Vittuari. Sustainability concerns and practices in the chocolate life cycle: Integrating consumers’ perceptions and experts’ knowledge. Sustainable Production and Consumption 2019, 20, 117 -127.

AMA Style

Laura García-Herrero, Fabio De Menna, Matteo Vittuari. Sustainability concerns and practices in the chocolate life cycle: Integrating consumers’ perceptions and experts’ knowledge. Sustainable Production and Consumption. 2019; 20 ():117-127.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Laura García-Herrero; Fabio De Menna; Matteo Vittuari. 2019. "Sustainability concerns and practices in the chocolate life cycle: Integrating consumers’ perceptions and experts’ knowledge." Sustainable Production and Consumption 20, no. : 117-127.

Journal article
Published: 08 January 2019 in Sustainability
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Reducing food waste is globally considered as a key challenge in developing sustainable food systems. Although most food waste is generated at the household level, consumers hardly recognize their responsibility, and the factors underpinning their perception of the quantity of food wasted at home are still unclear. This paper aims to fill this gap by analyzing the results of a large-scale survey conducted in Italy. The perceived quantity of household food waste was measured through a Likert scale and analyzed by means of a logistic regression against a set of predictors, including food waste motivations, perception of the effects of food waste, and sociodemographic variables. As expected, the perceived quantity of food waste declared by respondents was very low. Among the main determinants, food shopping habits and the level of awareness about the reasons why food is wasted played a key role. In contrast, the perception of the environmental effects of food waste seemed to be less important. Differences among subsamples recruited in different areas of Italy were detected, suggesting that further studies, as well as awareness-raising policies, should also consider context-related variables.

ACS Style

Luca Falasconi; Clara Cicatiello; Silvio Franco; Andrea Segrè; Marco Setti; Matteo Vittuari. Such a Shame! A Study on Self-Perception of Household Food Waste. Sustainability 2019, 11, 270 .

AMA Style

Luca Falasconi, Clara Cicatiello, Silvio Franco, Andrea Segrè, Marco Setti, Matteo Vittuari. Such a Shame! A Study on Self-Perception of Household Food Waste. Sustainability. 2019; 11 (1):270.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Luca Falasconi; Clara Cicatiello; Silvio Franco; Andrea Segrè; Marco Setti; Matteo Vittuari. 2019. "Such a Shame! A Study on Self-Perception of Household Food Waste." Sustainability 11, no. 1: 270.

Journal article
Published: 01 September 2018 in Agricultural Systems
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The development of biogas production exacerbated the competition for land availability between crops dedicated to human consumption and those intended for energy production. Residual biomasses have been often proposed for their positive outcomes in terms of reduced pressure on land use. However, literature did not assess optimization options for existing biogas plants feeding. This paper developed a bio-economic model for the optimization of agricultural biogas supply chains using artichoke byproducts in existing plants. A multiple goal linear programming approach was adopted, using two objective functions, calculating respectively net present value and land use from energy crops, associated to a regional biogas network. Three scenarios were defined using primary and secondary data on the residues of a specific artichoke variety - globe - and an Italian region - Sardinia. In the Business As Usual scenario, net present value is about 7 million € with a land use of about 2720 ha. When using artichoke residues, the economic impact increases by 28% and land use is reduced by 83% if net present value is optimized. When land use is optimized, the economic impact still grows by 25% and land use is reduced by 100%. Results from this study confirm that, under certain conditions, locally available residual biomasses can replace energy crops in existing biogas networks, coupling viability and sustainability.

ACS Style

Fabio De Menna; Remo Alessio Malagnino; Matteo Vittuari; Andrea Segré; Giovanni Molari; Paola A. Deligios; Stefania Solinas; Luigi Ledda. Optimization of agricultural biogas supply chains using artichoke byproducts in existing plants. Agricultural Systems 2018, 165, 137 -146.

AMA Style

Fabio De Menna, Remo Alessio Malagnino, Matteo Vittuari, Andrea Segré, Giovanni Molari, Paola A. Deligios, Stefania Solinas, Luigi Ledda. Optimization of agricultural biogas supply chains using artichoke byproducts in existing plants. Agricultural Systems. 2018; 165 ():137-146.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Fabio De Menna; Remo Alessio Malagnino; Matteo Vittuari; Andrea Segré; Giovanni Molari; Paola A. Deligios; Stefania Solinas; Luigi Ledda. 2018. "Optimization of agricultural biogas supply chains using artichoke byproducts in existing plants." Agricultural Systems 165, no. : 137-146.

Journal article
Published: 01 June 2018 in Journal of Cleaner Production
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Recent studies have shown that consumers encounter various conflicting motivations that influence the prevention of household food waste. Food choices are rooted in deep-seated judgments, such as emotions, habits, and values, thus raising the cognitive dissonance between motivation and behavior (intention-behavior gap). The complexity of this subject increases when considering that food waste is driven by repetitive, multiple, and hidden individual choices and influenced by a composite set of situational factors. This study argues the presence of a critical distance between food choices and waste generation in homes and this factual interval (behavior-outcome gap) further affects consumer’s decision-making when comparing available options. Employing data from a three-year survey of a national representative panel of Italian consumers, this study develops a system of regression models using path analysis methodology. The objective is to measure the relationships between the different phases of the food consumption cycle and rank their contribution to waste. The results suggest that the more upstream the phase, the stronger the influence on food waste generation in homes. Purchasing emerges as the most critical choice of the consumers’ food waste cycle. This gap between behavior and outcome adds uncertainty to food decisions, which reverberates on behavioral beliefs and as a result, leads consumers to resort to heuristics. The findings allow for the identification of a set of behavioral patterns with implications on food waste generation. Furthermore, purchasing decisions are exposed to out-of-home contextual factors, suggesting that food retail can affect consumer behaviors relevant to household food waste.

ACS Style

Marco Setti; Federico Banchelli; Luca Falasconi; Andrea Segrè; Matteo Vittuari. Consumers' food cycle and household waste. When behaviors matter. Journal of Cleaner Production 2018, 185, 694 -706.

AMA Style

Marco Setti, Federico Banchelli, Luca Falasconi, Andrea Segrè, Matteo Vittuari. Consumers' food cycle and household waste. When behaviors matter. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2018; 185 ():694-706.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Marco Setti; Federico Banchelli; Luca Falasconi; Andrea Segrè; Matteo Vittuari. 2018. "Consumers' food cycle and household waste. When behaviors matter." Journal of Cleaner Production 185, no. : 694-706.

Review
Published: 01 March 2018 in Waste Management
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Food waste (FW) is a global problem that is receiving increasing attention due to its environmental and economic impacts. Appropriate FW prevention, valorization, and management routes could mitigate or avoid these effects. Life cycle thinking and approaches, such as life cycle costing (LCC), may represent suitable tools to assess the sustainability of these routes. This study analyzes different LCC methodological aspects and approaches to evaluate FW management and valorization routes. A systematic literature review was carried out with a focus on different LCC approaches, their application to food, FW, and waste systems, as well as on specific methodological aspects. The review consisted of three phases: a collection phase, an iterative phase with experts’ consultation, and a final literature classification. Journal papers and reports were retrieved from selected databases and search engines. The standardization of LCC methodologies is still in its infancy due to a lack of consensus over definitions and approaches. Research on the life cycle cost of FW is limited and generally focused on FW management, rather than prevention or valorization of specific flows. FW prevention, valorization, and management require a consistent integration of LCC and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to avoid tradeoffs between environmental and economic impacts. This entails a proper investigation of methodological differences between attributional and consequential modelling in LCC, especially with regard to functional unit, system boundaries, multi-functionality, included cost, and assessed impacts. Further efforts could also aim at finding the most effective and transparent categorization of costs, in particular when dealing with multiple stakeholders sustaining costs of FW. Interpretation of results from LCC of FW should take into account the effect on larger economic systems. Additional key performance indicators and analytical tools could be included in consequential approaches.

ACS Style

Fabio De Menna; Jana Dietershagen; Marion Loubiere; Matteo Vittuari. Life cycle costing of food waste: A review of methodological approaches. Waste Management 2018, 73, 1 -13.

AMA Style

Fabio De Menna, Jana Dietershagen, Marion Loubiere, Matteo Vittuari. Life cycle costing of food waste: A review of methodological approaches. Waste Management. 2018; 73 ():1-13.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Fabio De Menna; Jana Dietershagen; Marion Loubiere; Matteo Vittuari. 2018. "Life cycle costing of food waste: A review of methodological approaches." Waste Management 73, no. : 1-13.

Journal article
Published: 01 March 2018 in Global Food Security
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In developed countries, the largest share of food waste is produced at household level. Most studies on consumers’ food waste use models that identify covariates as significant when in fact they may not be, particularly where these models use many variables. Here, using EU-level Eurobarometer data from 2013, we use alternative analytical methods that avoid these problems (Bayesian Networks) to identify the impact of household characteristics and other variables on self-assessed food waste. Our analysis confirmed that the country, the age of the respondent, the status (student/non-student), and a belief that the family wastes too much are related to the level of self-assessed food waste. But we found no evidence that waste behaviours differ between people living in urban and rural areas, and little support of a difference between genders. Households from lower-income EU countries (e.g. Portugal, Greece, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Latvia), as well as students and young adults tend to report higher levels of food waste. Hence, the adoption of an EU strategy based on the concept of subsidiarity, and of country-level policy measures targeting different age groups is suggested. Furthermore, our analysis shows that policy makers need to be wary of relying on analysis based on large datasets that do not control for false-positives, particularly when sample sizes are small.

ACS Style

Matthew James Grainger; Lusine Aramyan; Katja Logatcheva; Simone Piras; Simone Righi; Marco Setti; Matteo Vittuari; Gavin Bruce Stewart. The use of systems models to identify food waste drivers. Global Food Security 2018, 16, 1 -8.

AMA Style

Matthew James Grainger, Lusine Aramyan, Katja Logatcheva, Simone Piras, Simone Righi, Marco Setti, Matteo Vittuari, Gavin Bruce Stewart. The use of systems models to identify food waste drivers. Global Food Security. 2018; 16 ():1-8.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Matthew James Grainger; Lusine Aramyan; Katja Logatcheva; Simone Piras; Simone Righi; Marco Setti; Matteo Vittuari; Gavin Bruce Stewart. 2018. "The use of systems models to identify food waste drivers." Global Food Security 16, no. : 1-8.

Research article
Published: 01 February 2018 in PLOS ONE
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Food waste from households contributes the greatest proportion to total food waste in developed countries. Therefore, food waste reduction requires an understanding of the socio-economic (contextual and behavioural) factors that lead to its generation within the household. Addressing such a complex subject calls for sound methodological approaches that until now have been conditioned by the large number of factors involved in waste generation, by the lack of a recognised definition, and by limited available data. This work contributes to food waste generation literature by using one of the largest available datasets that includes data on the objective amount of avoidable household food waste, along with information on a series of socio-economic factors. In order to address one aspect of the complexity of the problem, machine learning algorithms (random forests and boruta) for variable selection integrated with linear modelling, model selection and averaging are implemented. Model selection addresses model structural uncertainty, which is not routinely considered in assessments of food waste in literature. The main drivers of food waste in the home selected in the most parsimonious models include household size, the presence of fussy eaters, employment status, home ownership status, and the local authority. Results, regardless of which variable set the models are run on, point toward large households as being a key target element for food waste reduction interventions.

ACS Style

Matthew James Grainger; Lusine Aramyan; Simone Piras; Thomas Edward Quested; Simone Righi; Marco Setti; Matteo Vittuari; Gavin Bruce Stewart. Model selection and averaging in the assessment of the drivers of household food waste to reduce the probability of false positives. PLOS ONE 2018, 13, e0192075 .

AMA Style

Matthew James Grainger, Lusine Aramyan, Simone Piras, Thomas Edward Quested, Simone Righi, Marco Setti, Matteo Vittuari, Gavin Bruce Stewart. Model selection and averaging in the assessment of the drivers of household food waste to reduce the probability of false positives. PLOS ONE. 2018; 13 (2):e0192075.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Matthew James Grainger; Lusine Aramyan; Simone Piras; Thomas Edward Quested; Simone Righi; Marco Setti; Matteo Vittuari; Gavin Bruce Stewart. 2018. "Model selection and averaging in the assessment of the drivers of household food waste to reduce the probability of false positives." PLOS ONE 13, no. 2: e0192075.