Diverse paths to circularity: Clusters of circular food behaviors and their predictors

Abstract

A transition towards a circular food system requires large-scale changes in citizens' food-related behaviors such as growing, purchasing, sharing, and disposing of food products in a circular manner. Existing research has largely focused on specific behaviors in isolation, neglecting how these behaviors may interplay. Moreover, it remains unclear to what extent value orientations and socio-economic characteristics predict engagement in circular food behaviors. This study addresses these gaps by collecting data from N = 955 Dutch citizens to investigate whether different clusters of circular food behaviors exist and how values and socio-economic characteristics influence participation in these clusters. Using a combination of exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, we identify three behavioral clusters with varying levels of intentional commitment to circularity: circular waste management, circular food consumption, and regenerative food behaviors. Our findings indicate that biospheric values consistently and positively predict engagement across all clusters, while hedonic values are strong negative predictors. Socioeconomic factors, such as education level and rural residency, showed varying effects. Based on these insights, we provide suggestions for targeted policies and interventions for a broader adoption of circular food behaviors.