Food Waste Management in the Hospitality Sector: Empirical Evidence from Japan

About this project

Advancing sustainable food waste management in Japanese foodservice

This collaborative research project investigates how foodservice businesses in Japan can reduce food waste while improving business sustainability and performance. Focusing on restaurants, cafés, bars, and other hospitality businesses, the project examines food waste management (FWM) practices across the entire foodservice value chain, including procurement and storage, menu planning and design, staff and customer engagement, and leftover handling.

Using survey data collected from 260 foodservice managers across Japan’s major metropolitan regions, the project explores both the organisational factors that influence adoption of food waste management practices and the business outcomes associated with those practices. The research is grounded in Social Capital Theory and the Enlightened Self-Interest Model, examining how business networks, managerial capabilities, organisational characteristics, and stakeholder relationships shape sustainable operational behaviour.

The project responds to growing concerns about food waste, environmental sustainability, resource efficiency, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. By identifying different patterns of food waste management adoption and the conditions under which these practices contribute to stronger business performance, the project provides evidence-based guidance for hospitality operators, industry associations, and policymakers seeking to reduce food waste and support more sustainable food systems in Japan and internationally.

Outcomes

• Identified four distinct profiles of foodservice businesses based on their food waste management practices.
• Demonstrated that social and professional networks are important resources for adopting effective FWM practices.
• Showed that FWM is not only a sustainability practice but also a strategic capability that can improve expected business performance.
• Identified multiple pathways through which businesses can achieve positive performance outcomes – businesses do not need to adopt every possible FWM practice; different combinations of practices can generate business and sustainability benefits.
• Restaurants can reduce costs and waste through improved forecasting, inventory management, menu engineering, staff training, and customer engagement.
• Sustainability initiatives can be framed as business opportunities rather than compliance activities, helping operators achieve both environmental and financial outcomes.
• The findings provide practical guidance for achieving Japan's food waste reduction goals and supporting more sustainable hospitality operations.

Publications

• Matsuoka, K., Hallak, R., & Lee, C. (2025). Predictors of food waste management practices in the foodservice sector: A latent profile analysis of businesses in Japan. British Food Journal, 127(13), 737–759.

Project partners and funding

Research team:

• Associate Professor Rob Hallak, C-EDGE, School of Management, Adelaide University
• Associate Professor Craig Lee, C-EDGE, School of Management, Adelaide University
• Kohsuke Matsuoka, Yamagata University, Japan
• Takatoshi Murayama Tohoku Gakuin University, Japan

Funding provided by Tohoku Gakuin University, Japan