Author(s): Medha Srivastava, Saurabh Kumar Srivastava and Soumyajyoti Banerjee
Design/methodology/approach – With the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) as a theoretical foundation, the study uses a questionnaire-based survey method to identify the determinants of food wastage in Indian wedding ceremonies. It hypothesises an extended model of TPB and uses Structural Equation Modelling to test the hypotheses. Purpose –Indian weddings exemplify situations where more food finds a way to dustbins than mouths. Sharma and Vrat (2018) mentioned that approximately one-fifth of the food at the social get-together and marriage functions is thrown away. The present study explores the impact of sociocultural and individual factors on food wastage behaviour in Indian wedding ceremonies. Findings – Besides supporting the influence of TPB constructs, the results underline the role of social connectedness and abundant food availability at wedding ceremonies in shaping the food wastage behaviour of wedding guests. Originality/value – Present study informs the academic discourse on the largely ignored problem of food wastage in Indian wedding ceremonies. It addresses the lack of deliberations around peculiarities of food consumption in India’s sociocultural milieu and offers suggestions to control food wastage at individual and community levels.