WWF to Fight Food Waste in Mexico

On May 8, 2023, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) presented the "Communication for Change" initiative to fight food waste in Mexico, where approximately a third part of the food produced is discarded every year. The project was organized by WWF Mexico, the School of Communication of Universidad Anáhuac and the University of Bielefeld in Germany. The project combined communication, education and environmental psychology strategies, and was focused on driving food waste reduction among more than 400 university students. 

"Our goal is to raise awareness among young people about the impact of human activities on nature, particularly to promote behavioral changes and, above all, to train future professionals with communication tools based on our own experience," said Ana Laura De la Torre, Project Coordinator, WWF Mexico.

According to De la Torre, food waste contribution to biodiversity loss and climate change is significant. Mexico reaches 94kg of food waste per capita every year, which is higher than the world average of 74kg. "We are living through a double environmental crisis of biodiversity loss and climate change, and the way in which we produce and consume our food is at the heart of the crisis," De la Torre stated. 

The University of Bielefeld provided a measurement model to identify the mechanisms of action to motivate sustainable behaviors among young people. Such mechanisms range from positive emotions to social norms, attitudes or moral convictions. After an initial approach, the model showed that food waste did not generate negative or positive emotions among participants. 

The initiative was based on interventions, a method in which principles and techniques of environmental psychology are applied to promote behavior change. After an intervention based on 20 psychological techniques to change behavior, specialists managed to create awareness among young people by recognizing themselves as part of nature and reinforced the belief that it is necessary to change their behavior to become more sustainable. 

The work team developed the "Guide to promote pro-environmental behaviors: an approach based on communication and education," in which lessons learned, as well as the methodology for interventions are shared, so that they may be applied in other Mexican and Latin American universities. 

“In an indirect way, food waste is one of the factors that most affects the environment, but there is not much awareness regarding the subject. In fact, a third of food products in the country are discarded. It is important to link scientific knowledge with Mexican culture in order to create initiatives like this, and share them with young people,” highlighted Jorge Rickards, Director General, WWF Mexico.