Minimizing household food waste during extreme shocks: A configurational analysis in the Philippines

External shocks such as the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in disruptions in the agri-food system. While there are multiple studies that have examined the effects of pandemic at the farm level, there is a dearth of studies that focus on food management at the household level, particularly the generation of food waste with the bulk of this coming from the households. This study investigates the configurations that can minimize food waste in homes during an external shock such as the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines. Using configurational analysis through the fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) of 153 households, seven different configurations were found to potentially result in minimized household food waste. The findings highlight several socio-demographic traits, attitudes, and behavioral patterns of households in reducing food waste during extreme shocks. Among the different conditions considered in the configurational analysis, the higher number of employed household members is seen to be an important part of almost all configurations towards reduction of food waste. Home gardening is shown to have mixed results in households with more employed members. Non-practice of home gardening is not always detrimental to household food waste reduction. Based on these results, the initiatives that would yield the most impact are in the provision of livelihood and employment to more household members. Overall, the results point to important implications for transitions toward sustainability and the circular economy.