At the household level, consumer behavior and management practices play a crucial role in food waste. Agovino., et al (2024) explore how household size, shopping habits, and management routines influence food waste in Italian households. Their study suggests that larger households tend to waste less food due to their ability to buy in bulk and manage resources more efficiently. Additionally, the study highlights the potential for reducing waste through improved household practices such as better food storage and portion control. This focus on consumer-level interventions aligns with broader research on consumption-stage strategies. Reynolds et al. (2019) also identify key interventions that can reduce food waste at the consumption stage, including portion control, food preservation techniques, and raising awareness. They stress the importance of understanding the psychological and behavioral factors that influence consumer decisions, pointing to the need for more targeted interventions that cater to specific consumer behaviors and motivations. Household food waste is influenced by various factors, including income and food behaviors. Higher income correlates with increased food waste for certain products, like unpackaged fruits, but not for food with low income elasticity or cultural significance, such as bread (Setti et al., 2016). Waste behavior is more common among both high and low-income groups for these products, showing a polarized relationship. For high-value foods (e.g., dairy and pre-packed vegetables), waste is more frequent in mid-to-low income brackets, suggesting that consumers’ risk-averse behaviors and purchasing choices contribute to waste (Setti et al., 2016). The finding suggests that reduced income affects food purchasing and eating behaviors: consumers buy cheaper, larger quantities of lower-quality foods, which can lead to more waste due to spoilage or dissatisfaction.

Szulecka., et al (2024) examine food waste governance in Europe, highlighting the importance of coordinated governance frameworks involving both public and private sectors. They stress that successful food waste management requires collaboration among stakeholders at the local, national and international levels. These findings are supported by Busetti (2019), who evaluates the effectiveness of food waste policies in Italy. Busetti’s study identifies key challenges in policy implementation, particularly the fragmentation of efforts, and calls for a more integrated approach to food waste management that considers local contexts. Both studies align in advocating for a unified approach to food waste governance, underlining that fragmented and inconsistent policies limit the success of food waste reduction efforts. In a Building Responsibility & Developing Innovative Strategies for Tackling Food Waste (BREAD) Report, written by Dr. Ludovica Principato, writes, “On the basis of the research, we can state that, considering the National legislative framework, Italy has been the first country in the world to adopt a law that presents a strategic approach to the problem of food waste, thus becoming a reference model for the European Union” (Principato, 2021). Law No. 166, or The Gadda Law, aims to combat food waste by reorganizing the regulations surrounding food donation. The law clarifies the distinction between “use by” and “best before” dates, allowing food to be donated even after the "best before" date has passed (FAO, 2025). Additionally, it introduces measures like allowing the donation of confiscated food, creating "family bags" for distribution, and offering businesses a waste tax reduction to incentivize them to donate excess food.

This framework illustrates how the food waste system in Italy is influenced by the governance systems (food waste policy), the resource systems (food management practices in restaurants and food retailers), the resource units (types and amounts of food wasted), and the users (consumers and food handlers). By applying this framework, we can analyze how institutional rules, food management systems, and consumer behavior come together to affect the outcomes in food waste reduction, and how policies (such as Italy’s national food waste laws) shape the governance systems of individual food service outlets.