Do pro-environmental values, beliefs and norms drive farmers' interest in novel practices fostering the Bioeconomy?

A transition towards a bio-based economy is accompanied by a growing demand for biomass resources as fossil fuels need to be replaced for the more sustainable production of consumer goods, chemicals and energy. To increase the supply of renewable biomass and avoid a conflict with food production, currently underutilized by-products (i.e. leaves, stems) from horticultural production could be valorised as feedstock. The success of this approach depends on farmers' willingness to adopt novel practices like the collection and treatment of plant leaves. However, literature on factors influencing farmers' decisions to adopt novel practices aimed to foster the Bioeconomy is limited. This paper addresses this gap by exploring drivers of farmers' interest in the valorisation of by-products. To this aim, the Value-Belief-Norm theory was used and expanded by contextual factors, such as the perceived market demand for biomass and future environmental policies. A survey with German fruit and vegetable farmers (N = 96) has been carried out and data have been analysed with a Structural Equation Model. Findings suggest that the Value-Belief-Norm theory is a relevant framework for the agricultural domain to predict farmers' interest in the valorisation of horticultural by-products. Results further indicate that an internal ecological worldview is potentially relevant for farmers' perception of contextual conditions aimed to foster the Bioeconomy. These outcomes could have managerial and policy implications associated with the identification of potential lead users to trigger the diffusion of innovative sustainable practices and generally foster the Bioeconomy.