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Although the recent empirical literature provides a satisfactory range of
estimates of food waste at the national and global level, little attention has been
devoted to lower units of aggregation. This article tackles the phenomenon of urban
food waste (UFW), proposing an analysis of consumer behaviour at the local level.
Using institutional data for Italian provinces, over an 11-year time span
(2004–2014), we estimate the amounts of UFW and subsequently investigate the
extent of persistence and spatial spillovers using the local Moran transition probability
matrix. Our results suggest that the good and bad practices in food consumption
that determine the levels of UFW are persistent over time. Moreover, they
produce a (though limited) spatial spillover, affecting consumption practices in the
neighbouring areas. Two province clusters emerge, one in Northern and Central
Italy, featuring negative behaviours and the other one in South-Central and Southern
Italy, displaying virtuous behaviours. This situation calls for public policies aimed
at promoting convergence in the levels of UFW.