Circular agri-food approaches: will consumers buy novel products made from vegetable waste?

This article discusses the challenges associated with managing waste in the horticultural sector and it presents the circular economy framework as a solution to the food waste problem. Value adding is one strategy that transforms food waste for reuse in accordance with the concept of circular economy. This research focuses on the role that consumers play in the circular economy. A structured questionnaire was submitted to a sample (n= 330) of Australian households to assess the willingness of consumers to buy food that is derived from underutilised biomass. The survey indicates reveal that half of the sample is willing to buy value-added food and helping Australian farmers is the top-ranking factor driving demand. Awareness of the food waste problem is significant in distinguishing consumers who are willing to buy value-added food from those who are not. The recommendations for marketers when designing their marketing communications for a circular economy are to stress empathy and care for farmers and highlight the consequences of food waste for both the natural environment and people