Consumption is an indispensable element for the continuity of human life. From the past to the present, quite different meanings have been attributed to consumption. Consumption, which is the act of consuming in its simplest form, is a way of life on its own today and is considered a social phenomenon. Therefore, consumption constitutes the research topic of different disciplines, from economics to psychology In this context, the relationship between consumption and different sciences such as sociology, anthropology, archeology in the axis of economy-culture interaction is included in the study, and the sociality of consumption is examined within the scope of the culture industry, consumer society, and consumption culture. Consumption is much more than an economic behavior; It was concluded that the economy-culture relationship radically changed the conceptual and social meaning of consumption.

Increasing population around the world also increases consumption; so much more is bought than is needed. Food loss and waste are one of the important results of this process. According to the data from the FAO, an average of one-third of the food produced each year is wasted. Food waste is a multidimensional phenomenon. The fact that the multidimensionality of food loss and waste has not been encountered in previous studies constitutes the main motivation of the study. In this context, the relationship between food waste and socioeconomic variables such as population, gross domestic product (GDP), electricity consumption, poverty, human development index (HDI), education, and employment are discussed; The possible causes and effects of food loss and waste are emphasized and current policies implemented to reduce this waste are mentioned. Correlation analysis is performed with the R package program and the relationship between the mentioned socioeconomic variables and food waste is examined using various visualizations. According to the analysis, food waste has a positive correlation with population, GDP, electricity consumption, and poverty; It was found to have a negative correlation with HDI and education. Considering the correlation between food waste and the mentioned variables, it has been concluded that although there are many reasons for food waste, the majority of it is actually caused by excessive and unconscious consumption. Various policy proposals, such as raising awareness of consumption at the household level and creating training for this purpose, are included in the conclusions and recommendations section.