| Abstract |
Food systems face significant environmental challenges, necessitating a shift towards sustainability and resource efficiency. Implementing circular economy principles and adopting new business models can significantly contribute to more sustainable food systems. These approaches address major issues in the linear economic model, such as excessive food loss and waste, resource depletion, and market volatility. However, due to various barriers, adopting new circular food systems confronts sluggish progress. This study identifies the hierarchical structure and cause-and-effect relationships of these barriers using the example of selected food systems in Berlin-Brandenburg, Germany. Employing the Fuzzy-DEMATEL analysis approach, this research identifies four primary causal barriers and four effect barriers classified across market development, finance, technological availability, knowledge management, as well as institutional domains. Furthermore, the study ranks these barriers based on their significance. It reveals that the top barriers are poor product design and waste management infrastructure, insufficient quantity and quality of material flow, and a lack of collaboration in the supply chain. In addition, weak policies, along with their inadequate evaluation and monitoring, act as the most influential causal barriers. These findings hold significant implications for practitioners and policymakers striving to promote the transition to circular food systems through innovative business models. Practitioners are advised to prioritize collaborations with different stakeholders to ensure proper waste management, by-product valorization, and resource efficiency. Concurrently, policymakers should enact supportive policies and effective governance structures based on the needs of the businesses and its stakeholders. |