Sustainable consumption in the circular economy. An analysis of consumers’ purchase intentions for waste-to-value food

This study is aimed at evaluating the relative influence of socio-demographic and psychological features\r\nthat rule the extent to which consumers engage in the circular economy, purchasing waste-to-value\r\n(WTV) food enriched with ingredients otherwise wasted in the supply chain.\r\n477 Italian consumers replied to a web-based questionnaire administered through different social\r\nmedia networks. Two different consumers’ purchase intentions were analysed: consumers were asked\r\nboth if they would be willing to buy WTV food and if they would buy WTV food if this would help to\r\nreduce the environmental impact of agricultural production.\r\nBinary logistic regressions are estimated to appraise the eventual drivers of consumers’ statements.\r\nAmong these drivers, attention was given to aspects related to the generalised aversion to new foods, i.e.\r\nfood neophobia (FN) and the aversion to food processed in new ways, i.e. food technology neophobia\r\n(FTN). Other relevant economic and demographic factors were investigated, together with aspects\r\nrelated to generalised trust, purchase behaviours and preferences.\r\nThe main results indicate that 56% of respondents declared to be willing to buyWTV food, however, FN\r\nand FTN negatively influence the probability of stating a positive purchase intention. Consumers who\r\ngive importance to reading food labels and think that food could have environmental or health benefits,\r\nare more likely to be willing to buy WTV food.\r\nIn addition, a core of sustainable consumers seems to emerge who express a positive purchase\r\nintention for WTV food to reduce the environmental impact of production and give importance to the\r\norigin and nutritional values of products. In conclusion, policy implications are drawn.