A Trap or a New Opportunity? The Role of Consumers in Transitioning to Agrifood Supply Chains Based on a Circular Economy

Dear colleagues,

Over the last few years, the idea that efforts should be made for the transition into a circular economy (CE) has gained momentum. CE proposes a future in which the negative environmental impacts of economic activities will be significantly reduced through the transformation of waste into biological and technical “nutrients” that (ideally) circulate within infinite loops.

Renewed circular industrial systems would call upon private citizens to adopt an active and participative role within value chains. Particularly, in the CE, new relationships between consumers and companies are expected to develop based on novel types of networks and products delivered as services, agreements, and shared activities. On the one hand, this would lead to new symbolic meanings associated with consumption, including ideas of community, social interaction and commitment, embeddedness with nature, and rebellion against mainstream consumption. On the other hand, issues of trust, risk, information, as well as internal factors concerning the domestic sphere (e.g., the restructuring of household routines), arise for consumers engaged in circular supply chain relationships.

This Special Issue welcomes papers focused on the role of consumers for a potential transition into CE in the agrifood sector—a domain in which CE investigation is struggling to emerge. Contributions from disparate disciplines and theoretical approaches are accepted. Of particular interest are works critically considering the role of eco-effectiveness, upcycling, and business model design. The papers must show originality and give a significant contribution to the scope of the Special Issue.

Prof. Luigi Cembalo
Dr. Massimiliano Borrello
Guest Editors

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