Pre-Consumption Food Choice Priorities, Food Waste Concerns, and Incentive Strategies for Change—A Portuguese Case Study

Sustainability and the reduction of food waste are inseparable themes. In Portugal, 17% of annual food production is wasted, much of it at household level. The main aim of this study was to explore associations of food choices with sociodemographic factors and health and food waste concerns, and explore the acceptance of potential reward systems that may encourage more sustainable dietary behaviors among consumers. Data was collected from Portuguese adults through an online questionnaire during the month of November 2023, obtaining 366 responses. The results showed that the main criterion when buying food was price (reported by 82% participants). As sustainable food buying practices, 55.5% of the participants reported buying fresh food and 33% reported buying locally, which were significantly positively associated with the age and income of the participants. Regarding food consumption, 87% of the participants reported having health concerns and 63% food waste concerns. Age and income were significantly negatively associated with food waste concerns, while health concerns were positively associated with income. Most respondents reported little or no weekly meal plans to reduce food waste. Within the possible rewards for more sustainable food choices, 52% of the participants chose the monetary reward, which was significantly and inversely associated with age and income. Other chosen options were discounts or offers on local or organic food products, and sustainable personal and home hygiene products, suggesting an interest on the part of consumers in changing their consumption habits toward more sustainable habits in areas beyond food. This study provides insights into how sociodemographic and economic factors interact with food choice criteria and sustainability-related concerns in Portuguese adults, highlighting context-specific drivers of sustainable behavior. The findings may be used to design consumer-targeted interventions, such as tailored reward systems, to promote healthier and more sustainable food purchasing and consumption practices. This could be a starting point to create a society oriented toward more sustainable consumption choices, both in terms of food and the environment.