Throwing it out: Introducing a nexus perspective in examining citizen perceptions of organizational food waste in the U.S.

While advocacy groups and environmentalists have sought to highlight the issue of food waste, relatively little is known about individual citizen concern about food wasted by organizations in the U.S. This paper examines the extent to which individuals are concerned about organizational food waste, and to what extent they would support policies intended to reduce food waste. We also address how food waste reduces efficiencies in the water-energy-food nexus. We use a nationally representative sample of survey respondents to identify the personal characteristics that relate to concern about food waste and to corrective public policies. We expand the use of water-energy-food awareness indexes and examine if nexus awareness influences opinions and policies regarding food waste. Results show that nexus awareness, or awareness of the interconnections between food-water and food-energy, is significantly related to food waste concern and policy preferences to reduce food waste. We conclude with some strategies and policy recommendations on increasing awareness and action to reduce food waste.