Research Information System
Turkish Journal of Agricultural Economics, vol.26, no.2, pp.157-165, 2020 (Scopus)
Purpose: This research aims to determine the food waste attitude and waste amount of consumers in the home environment in the quarantine process caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. Design/Methodology/Approach: The population of the study, in Istanbul, where approximately 60% of COVID-19 cases in Turkey, consists of individuals who reside in districts with a large population. 982 participants were selected using simple random sampling method and electronic survey forms were used as data collection tool. Research data was collected between April 15 and May 1, 2020 when COVID-19 cases had peaked in Turkey. The survey consists of two parts: demographic and food waste questions. Frequency analysis was carried out for reliability analysis and determining the responses of the participants. In addition, difference analyzes (one-way variance and Kruskal Wallis) were used to determine the relationship between household characteristics and food waste practices. Findings: The majority of the participants are individuals aged 21-29 and university graduates. In addition, 66.3% of the participants live with their parents, 46.5% of the participants’ income is 2501-5000 lira and the household population of 77% of the participants is three or more. Participants who see food waste as a major problem are 87.7% of all participants. It was determined that the most wasted foods in the quarantine were vegetables and fruits, and the most important reason for waste was the spoilage of the foods. The participants state that the rate of ready food consumption has decreased during the quarantine process and that they usually cook at home. Research limitations/Effects: The difficulty of accessing individuals to be included in the research in quarantine constitutes the limitations of this research. Originality/Value: The originality of this study is that the subject is limited in the literature and the research is carried out in Istanbul. In addition, the results of the research for food producers and consumers constitute the value of this research.