Design for behaviour change: Developing a communication campaign to influence household behaviour towards food waste reduction in Jordan

Abstract

Food waste poses unprecedented risks to climate change, food security, and the economy on a global, national, and regional level. Therefore, this issue is required to be addressed urgently. This research focuses on understanding the current behaviour patterns of targeted households in Jordan and thus developing a communication campaign to shape households' behaviour towards food waste reduction. The overall aim of this research is to develop communication campaign guidelines to shape household behaviour toward food waste reduction in Jordan. This PhD includes three phases. In the first phase, the research has carried out a review of the food waste issue, the Design for Behaviour Change (DfBC) background, outlining behaviour change models in behavioural sciences and design for behaviour change models and toolkits with a particular focus on communication campaigns. The second phase of this research consisted of two parts. The first part aimed to understand the current situation, as well as future plan, on solid waste in general and food waste in particular in Jordan by interviewing experts and policymakers in Jordan. The second part was to understand households and provide a clearer picture of behaviours related to food waste practices and the determinants of these behaviours by carrying a survey, ethnographic observation, photovoice method, and semi structured interviews with Jordanian households in West and East Amman. The third phase of this research was dedicated to developing and testing a communication campaign to shape households’ behaviour towards food waste reduction in Jordan. The last two chapters described how the research outcomes can be integrated, and how the research outcomes can fulfil the knowledge gap. A design process is also proposed, with guidelines developed for the adoption of learned lessons in other contexts, different scenarios of possible applications, limitations, and future research opportunities.