Uncovering Pathways of Local Government Spending toward Food Waste Reduction

This study examines how local government expenditures affect food waste reduction. Using a two-step dynamic panel approach, this study seeks to find empirical evidence from 212 municipalities in Korea. The results show that there exist dynamic adjustments in local economic growth and food waste, and an inverted U-shaped curve between food waste and local economic growth is identified. In the short and long run, the results reveal that local government expenditures for food waste management contribute to reducing food waste directly. However, due to the relationships of food waste with economic growth, local government spending raises food waste indirectly in lower income regions but reduces it indirectly in higher income regions. In total, the results represent that local government expenditures contribute to food waste reduction only in higher income regions.