Primary School Children’s Responses to Food waste at School

Abstract

Copyright © 2021, Dorothy A. Yen, Benedetta Cappellini and Terry Dovey. Purpose This paper seeks to understand children’s responses to food waste in school by exploring children’s views on food waste and empowering them to discuss and develop their own solutions. Design/methodology/approach Using creative problem-solving approach and photovoice technique, the authors conducted focus group discussions with 28 primary school children in the UK. Findings Children have a clear understanding of the consequences of food waste for individuals, society and the environment. They displayed negative emotions concerning food waste and responded positively to the possibility of food recycling. Their solutions to reduce food waste will require multiple stakeholder engagement, including self-regulation, peer-monitoring, teacher supervision and family support. However, rather than relying on intervention schemes that require significant adult involvement, children placed a heavy emphasis on self-regulation, playing an active role in addressing food waste in school. Originality/value This research extends previous understanding, by showing children as agentic consumers who can shape food waste solutions in school. These findings are of use to primary teachers and local education authorities, to aid children in developing their own solutions to reduce food waste in their own schools.