Attitude and behaviour of Bosnian households towards food waste

Abstract

In order to determine the amount and value of food waste, a regional survey was carried out, among others, in the Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), at the beginning of 2016. A number of 581 respondents participated in on-line survey and their answers were processed using descriptive statistics and dual-non-parametric test. The results of the research were presented according to logical units: socio-economic characteristics of households; general habits when buying food; attitude toward food products shelf life; attitude toward food waste and factors of rational use of food. Most households in BiH prepare meals at home, and do not often eat in a restaurant or buy ready-made food. Food is mostly purchased in supermarkets and hypermarkets and about half of the respondents discard less than 0.5 kg of food weekly, the value of which is less than 5 euros. The above and other results suggest that food waste in BiH is still not a big problem, which is a consequence of the tradition and way of life, but also of low living standard.