The Educational Civic Path in Southern Italy: What Determines Behaviors Toward Food Waste Among Students in Campania Region?

Food waste prevention has become an issue of international concern, with Sustainable Development Goal 12.3 aiming to halve per capita global food waste by 2030. Students are most inclined to waste food, and thus they need to be investigated. The study focused on students’ behavior toward food waste in Campania region (Southern Italy) to address the educational civic path expected by the Ministry of Education. A web survey involving 409 students was used to investigate the food waste behavior within the framework of the Theory of Planned Behavior. The findings suggest that concern about food waste, moral attitude and perceived behavioral control influence individuals’ intentions to act and this in turn, translates into correct behavior toward food waste. The recognition of the factors that affect students’ behavior toward food waste represents an important starting point to develop and implement different anti-waste strategies at national and regional levels.