DefinePK

Abstract

Wasting food is a huge issue in many countries including Pakistan. It has serious consequences for our environment and raises some serious ethical questions. This problem needs to be addressed seriously. Food waste problem creates many challenges against achieving sustainable development goals, especially regarding how we consume resources (SDG 12). Moreover, food waste studies showed that students had a higher propensity to food waste. Therefore, this research has used the qualitative explanatory approach to highlight the perception of students about the food waste. Bourdieu's Theory of Social Practice was considered as the theoretical framework. In this study, the universe of the researchers is a university campus in Karachi, Pakistan. The study sample consists of fifteen university students. In this study, convenient sampling is used by the researcher. In-depth interviews were used for data collection in this study. The data was analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. By applying Bourdieu's framework, the researchers have created a deeper understanding of the students’ perceptions about the environmental and ethical implications of food waste on campus. The university cafeteria is a field where students navigate social expectations and norms around food consumption. Students develop a habit around food consumption based on their family background, cultural norms, and experiences. Habitus shapes how students perceive food waste. This research, with practice theory as a theoretical framework, will contribute to the food waste domain in several ways. Firstly, investigating the issue in a developing economy like Pakistan is worthy. Secondly, a great emphasis is placed on the environmental and ethical implications of food waste.