In view of a growing world population and the issue of global food security, the following number is staggering: According to the German Federal Ministry of Agriculture, 78 kilograms of food are thrown away per capita every year in Germany alone. Over 50 percent of global waste along the food value chain is generated in private households. People thus spend money on products that then end up in the garbage bin. But what is the background to this irrational behavior, which is more than a private decision in the face of resource scarcity?