Enhancing sustainable food literacy in hospitality education: assessing the impact on undergraduate students

Purpose Food waste is a global economic and environmental concern. This study aims to create a sustainable food literacy curriculum and to enhance awareness of sustainable diet and reduce food waste for hospitality management students. Design/methodology/approach A quasi-experimental design involving 65 students was used to evaluate the curriculum’s effectiveness through a diverse learning approach. Findings The results indicate that the curriculum significantly improved students’ knowledge, skills and attitudes toward sustainable food practices, and also led to a reduction in food waste behaviors. Research limitations/implications The research will implement educational interventions and assess their effectiveness, with the expectation that students will improve their sustainable food literacy and reduce food waste behavior. This study’s contribution will provide hospitality educators and trainers with an effective teaching model and intervention method to reduce food-related carbon emissions and waste behavior. Originality/value This study provides valuable insights for developing sustainable food literacy programs and offers support to educators in tracking student outcomes.