Abstract
Food waste is a global problem in the food supply chain that affects the environment, has more than one billion tons of losses annually, and contributes to the social inequity. Consumers' attitude towards food waste reduction is central to behavioural factors. The aim of this research is to extend the Theory of Planned Behaviour by integrating the constructs of emotions, perceived ability, food literacy, environmental concern and food choice behaviour into the model to better capture the food waste reduction intentions of food court customers. A validated online questionnaire (Cronbach's alpha = 0.863) is employed in the study which explores waste reduction intentions and behaviours among 367 young customer of food courts in Coimbatore, India, through an extended theory of planned behaviour. Results indicate that intention is a strong predictor of behaviour, environmental concern was the strongest predictor of intention, emotions was the next strongest predictor, perceived ability was the next strongest predictor and that food choice was the weakest predictor. Intention to reduce food waste is explained by emotions, self-efficacy, environmental concern, and food choice behaviour, which then predict food waste reduction behaviour. The study builds on the original Theory of Planned Behaviour by integrating sustainability-related and contextual factors in a food court context, providing practical information for food service operators aiming to implement behavioural strategies for a more conscious consumption and reduce food waste