Social Research: How People Receive Information Related to Sustainability/Circular Economy, Their Perception, and Purchase Options: A Survey Based on the Island of Lemnos †
1
Laboratory of Physico-Chemical and Biotechnological Valorization of Food By-Products, Department of Food Science & Nutrition, School of Environment, University of the Aegean, Leoforos Dimokratias 66, 81400 Myrina, Greece
2
Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Agricultural University of Athens, 75, Iera Odos, 11855 Athens, Greece
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
Presented at the 4th International Electronic Conference on Foods, 15–30 October 2023; Available online: https://foods2023.sciforum.net/ .
Biol. Life Sci. Forum 2023, 26(1), 40; https://doi.org/10.3390/Foods2023-15030
Published: 14 October 2023
(This article belongs to the Proceedings of The 4th International Electronic Conference on Foods)
Abstract
:Agro-industrial waste biotechnology refers to applications of biotechnological processes and techniques to convert agricultural/agro-industrial waste into valuable products. The food and agricultural industries generate significant amounts of waste during processing and production, including by-products from crops, fruits, vegetables, and other agricultural products. By using biotechnological techniques such as fermentation, enzymatic conversion, and microbial processes, it is possible to convert these waste materials into various useful products. But how do people receive this information (and others generated from this field of science) in their daily lives? This study aims to cover this topic and provide an approach to how it ultimately relates to people’s purchasing options. A total of 120 people (37.5% men, 62.5% women) from six different parts of Greece (34.2% from Lemnos) took part in this survey. The key result of the survey was that 85.0% of respondents responded positively to their awareness of sustainability/circular economy. In addition, 64.6% of participants answered negatively when asked (whether they thought the information they received from the media and public bodies on the topic of sustainability/circular economy was sufficient for them. Some 36.7% of participants responded that they would be willing to pay 20% more to purchase a product that itself (or a component of it) is produced through biotechnological applications, and 46.7% responded that they would be happy to pay more, but that cost coverage is important.
1. Introduction
The circular economy is a concept and economic system that aims to minimize the waste generated and maximize the value of resources by promoting the continuous circulation of products, materials, and resources in a closed loop [1]. Unlike the traditional linear economy, where goods are produced, used, and then disposed of as waste, the circular economy aims to create a sustainable, regenerative system [2]. Circular economy, bioeconomy and food waste biotechnology are interrelated concepts related to sustainable resource management and aim to reduce waste in the food industry [3]. Depending on their interests, background, and access to information, people engage with scientific research in different ways. This includes the scientific community, the media, online platforms/blogs, educational institutions, government/policy makers, NGOs and interest groups, business/industry applications, citizen science, peer review/replication, policy consultations, and public feedback [4]. This survey was carried out using the Google Forms tool because it is easily accessible and free.
2. Methods
This study was developed using a structured numerical process (Table 1) to examine the extent to which people perceive and interact with information related to the circular economy and biotechnological applications in the agro-industrial waste management sector, and to examine their associated potential purchasing preferences. A total of 120 participants took part in this study (37.5% men, 62.5% women). The 120 participants came from the following regions: 34.2% Lesvos (all from Lemnos) 15.0% Athens, 21.7% Thessaloniki, 7.5% Thessaly, 4.2% Peloponnese, 6.7% Heperus, and 10.8% from the rest of Europe. The questionnaire was split into section A and B (Part 1, Part 2a, Part 2b).
3. Result
4. Discussion and Conclusions
The answers produced quite interesting results. Most participants answered questions about their awareness of circular economy and bioeconomy positively (on average, 84.96%) (Table 2). Furthermore, results showed that participants (on average, 50%) did not think that the information they receive from local authorities (such as schools, media, etc.) is sufficient (Table 2). Some 55.1% of participants agree that the shift towards sustainability is crucial for our society and must be implemented immediately (Table 2). Figure 1, Figure 2, Figure 3, Figure 4, Figure 5 and Figure 6 show the results of the questions which was included in section B (Table 1). Finally, 43.8% (the highest score) of participants would be willing to pay 20–30% more to purchase a product that is entirely (or partly) produced within the circular economy than another product in the same category; an average of 53.4% of them would like to pay more, but cutting costs is important to them (Figure 7). In conclusion, this study shows that most participants are aware of biotechnological applications for sustainability, etc., and would like to know more about these applications.
Supplementary Materials
The presentation materials can be downloaded at: https://www.mdpi.com/article/10.3390/Foods2023-15030/s1.
Author Contributions
Conceptualization, methodology, software: G.K.; validation/supervision: D.S.; supervision: S.P. and Z.I. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Funding
This research was funded by the project “Infrastructure of Microbiome Applications in Food Systems-FOODBIOMES” (MIS 5047291), which is implemented under the Action “Regional Excellence in R&D Infrastructures”, funded by the Operational Program “Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation” (NSRF 2014–2020) and co-financed by Greece and the European Union (European Regional Development Fund). ![Blsf 26 00040 i001]()
Institutional Review Board Statement
Not applicable.
Informed Consent Statement
Informed consent was obtained from all subjects involved in the study.
Data Availability Statement
Data was obtained from each participant and are available upon request from https://docs.google.com/forms/u/0/ with the permission of each participant.
Conflicts of Interest
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
References
- Ghisellini, P.; Cialani, C.; Ulgiati, S. A review on circular economy: The expected transition to a balanced interplay of environmental and economic systems. J. Clean. Prod. 2016, 114, 11–32. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
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- Paes, L.A.B.; Bezerra, B.S.; Deus, R.M.; Jugend, D.; Battistelle, R.A.G. Organic solid waste management in a circular economy perspective—A systematic review and SWOT analysis. J. Clean. Prod. 2019, 239, 118086. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
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Figure 1.
I would buy a food that itself or some of its ingredients come from biotechnological production processes.
Figure 1.
I would buy a food that itself or some of its ingredients come from biotechnological production processes.
Figure 2.
I support the consumption of products or food ingredients using biotechnology methods and would buy a product to do so.
Figure 2.
I support the consumption of products or food ingredients using biotechnology methods and would buy a product to do so.
Figure 3.
I believe that the products or food ingredients produced by biotechnological methods of processing food waste are of inferior quality (in terms of nutrients, taste, aroma, etc.).
Figure 3.
I believe that the products or food ingredients produced by biotechnological methods of processing food waste are of inferior quality (in terms of nutrients, taste, aroma, etc.).
Figure 4.
If I knew that a healthcare facility (e.g., restaurant or hotel) contained one or more ingredients produced by bioengineering food waste in one or more of the dishes they offer, I would choose to eat there.
Figure 4.
If I knew that a healthcare facility (e.g., restaurant or hotel) contained one or more ingredients produced by bioengineering food waste in one or more of the dishes they offer, I would choose to eat there.
Figure 5.
Manufacturing products or food ingredients using biotechnological methods is relatively new and scares me.
Figure 5.
Manufacturing products or food ingredients using biotechnological methods is relatively new and scares me.
Figure 6.
I consider biotechnological applications in the field of food waste to be necessary for people and society and see an application in everyday life in the future.
Figure 6.
I consider biotechnological applications in the field of food waste to be necessary for people and society and see an application in everyday life in the future.
Figure 7.
Would you be willing to pay more to purchase a product than another product in the same category that (or part of it) is manufactured as part of the circular economy?
Figure 7.
Would you be willing to pay more to purchase a product than another product in the same category that (or part of it) is manufactured as part of the circular economy?
Table 1.
Structure of the questionnaire.
| Examining the public’s familiarity with the conceptual meaning of sustainable development | |
| Section A | |
| Questions | Sustainable development/green development, bioeconomy |
| 1/3 of the food produced worldwide is turned into waste | |
| Food waste is a source of pollution for the environment (CO2, destruction of the sea, lakes/rivers, soil, atmosphere, bad/toxic smells, etc.) | |
| Can food waste be used to produce new products with high added value? | |
| The EU has created frameworks within which practical changes/compliances are envisaged for a greener society. These changes are considered necessary because the intensive destruction of the environment has and will have devastating effects on the environment | |
| Possible answers | Yes, No, Else |
| Section B | |
| Part 1: Investigating the degree of interaction with the placement that was given to the participants | |
| Question: | The information on the circular economy/bioeconomy/green development as far as I can find it from the media is sufficient for me |
| I get a lot of information about the circular economy/bioeconomy/green development from public bodies such as municipalities, schools, universities, organizations, and any public institutions that can provide it to me | |
| I believe that the application of frameworks to promote circular economy/sustainable economy/green development is a key issue in our society, and requires immediate implementation | |
| I believe that I am not most directly involved in the practical implementation of circular economy/bioeconomy/green development policies | |
| I believe that the practical applications of circular economy/bioeconomy/green development come with negative impacts such as speculation, misinformation, expediency, etc. | |
| Possible answers | Totally disagree, Disagree, Neither agree nor disagree, Agree, Totally agree |
| Part 2a: Qualitative and quantitative study of citizen satisfaction and changes in various consumer parameters | |
| Questions | Would you be willing to pay more to acquire a product (of the order of <20–30%, 30–50%, 50–80%, 80>%), than another of the same category, which is (or a component thereof) produced within the framework of the circular economy? |
| Possible Answers | Yes, No, I would like to but I have to consider the cost |
| Part 2b: Note your opinion on a scale of 1–10, with 1 being the least agreement and10 being the most agreement | |
| Questions | I would buy a food that itself or some of its ingredients come from biotechnological production processes |
| I support the consumption of products or food ingredients using biotechnology methods and would buy a product to do so | |
| I believe that the products or food ingredients produced via biotechnological methods of processing food waste are of inferior quality (in terms of nutrients, taste, aroma, etc.) | |
| If I knew that a leisure facility (e.g., restaurant or hotel) contained one or more ingredients produced by bioengineering food waste in one or more of the dishes they offer, I would choose to eat there | |
| Manufacturing products or food ingredients using biotechnological methods is relatively new and scares me | |
| I consider biotechnological applications in the field of food waste to be necessary for people and society, and think that they will have applications in everyday life in the future | |
| Possible Answers | Disagree to Agree (1–10) |
Table 2.
Results of the participants’ answers.
| Statement | Yes (%) | No (%) | Else (%) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sustainable development/green development, bioeconomy | 87.6 | 11.2 | 1.1 | ||
| 1/3 of the food produced worldwide is turned into waste | 74.2 | 25.8 | 0.0 | ||
| Food waste is a source of pollution for the environment (CO2, destruction of the sea, lakes/rivers, soil, atmosphere, bad/toxic smells, etc.) | 88.8 | 11.2 | 0.0 | ||
| Can food waste be used to produce new products with high added value? | 84.3 | 15.7 | 0.0 | ||
| The EU has created frameworks within which practical changes/compliances are envisaged for a greener society. These changes are considered necessary because the intensive destruction of the environment has and will have devastating effects on the environment | 89.9 | 10.1 | 0.0 | ||
| Statement | Totally disagree (%) | Disagree (%) | Neither agree or disagree (%) | Agree (%) | Totally agree (%) |
| The information on the circular economy/bioeconomy/green development as far as I can find it from the media is sufficient for me | 18.0 | 48.3 | 22.5 | 9.0 | 2.2 |
| I get a lot of information about the circular economy/bioeconomy/green development from public bodies such as municipalities, schools, universities, organizations, and any public institutions that can provide it to me | 11.2 | 51.7 | 24.7 | 12.4 | 0.0 |
| I believe that the application of frameworks to promote circular economy/sustainable economy/green development is a key issue in our society, and requires immediate implementation | 28.1 | 6.7 | 7.9 | 55.1 | 28.1 |
| I believe that I am not most directly involved in the practical implementation of circular economy/bioeconomy/green development policies | 9.0 | 22.5 | 37.1 | 23.6 | 7.9 |
| I believe that practical applications of circular economy/bioeconomy/green development come with negative impacts such as speculation, misinformation, expediency, etc. | 4.5 | 32.6 | 38.2 | 20.2 | 20.2 |
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MDPI and ACS Style
Kiouranakis, G.; Ioannou, Z.; Papanikolaou, S.; Sarris, D. Social Research: How People Receive Information Related to Sustainability/Circular Economy, Their Perception, and Purchase Options: A Survey Based on the Island of Lemnos. Biol. Life Sci. Forum 2023, 26, 40. https://doi.org/10.3390/Foods2023-15030
AMA Style
Kiouranakis G, Ioannou Z, Papanikolaou S, Sarris D. Social Research: How People Receive Information Related to Sustainability/Circular Economy, Their Perception, and Purchase Options: A Survey Based on the Island of Lemnos. Biology and Life Sciences Forum. 2023; 26(1):40. https://doi.org/10.3390/Foods2023-15030
Chicago/Turabian StyleKiouranakis, Georgios, Zacharias Ioannou, Seraphim Papanikolaou, and Dimitris Sarris. 2023. "Social Research: How People Receive Information Related to Sustainability/Circular Economy, Their Perception, and Purchase Options: A Survey Based on the Island of Lemnos" Biology and Life Sciences Forum 26, no. 1: 40. https://doi.org/10.3390/Foods2023-15030
APA StyleKiouranakis, G., Ioannou, Z., Papanikolaou, S., & Sarris, D. (2023). Social Research: How People Receive Information Related to Sustainability/Circular Economy, Their Perception, and Purchase Options: A Survey Based on the Island of Lemnos. Biology and Life Sciences Forum, 26(1), 40. https://doi.org/10.3390/Foods2023-15030
