Author(s)

MIZUHO SATO, PAUL T. GROGAN, HAJIME MIZUYAMA, SHAHLA WUNDERLICH

Abstract

The global food system is facing a ‘double burden of malnutrition’, in which malnutrition and over-nutrition coexist. Hunger has increased since 2019, with more than 700 million people lacking sufficient access to food in 2022. At the same time, the prevalence of overweight and obesity has increased rapidly worldwide, affecting approximately 2.5 billion adults. In addition, vegetable and fruit consumption remains below recommended levels in many regions, whereas food loss and waste continue to pose significant global challenges. Consumer behaviour plays a critical role in both dietary and food waste generation. This study focused on lettuce, a commonly consumed yet frequently wasted vegetable, and implemented a workshop designed to promote sustainable eating behaviours. The workshop comprised four stages: understanding balanced diets, generating ideas to increase lettuce consumption, learning about food loss and waste, and refining ideas for sustainable consumption. A questionnaire survey conducted before and after the workshop indicated improvements in participants’ nutrition knowledge. Awareness of food loss and waste also increased among some participants, although the changes varied across individuals. Overall, the results suggest that the workshop was effective in enhancing knowledge, while behavioural changes were limited.

Keywords

lettuce, food loss and waste, nutrition education, sustainable consumption