Risks, resilience and sustainability of plant-based protein chains in Europe: a stakeholder analysis

Purpose As the global demand for alternative protein sources grows, understanding the perceptions of key stakeholders in the agri-food chain is critical to fostering sustainable and resilient food systems. This study investigates stakeholders' views on risk, resilience and sustainability within plant-based protein chains. It aims to cluster stakeholders based on these perceptions and identify the factors that influence cluster membership. Design/methodology/approach A survey was conducted with participants including consumers, farmers, food industry professionals and policymakers across several European countries (n = 482). Hierarchical and non-hierarchical cluster analyses were used to group stakeholders, while logistic regression identified factors influencing cluster membership. Findings Stakeholders were segmented into two groups: optimistic advocates, who have a positive outlook on alternative protein chains, and cautious conventionalists, who remain sceptical. The analysis reveals that factors like familiarity with plant-based proteins, attitudinal certainty and stakeholder type significantly influence stakeholder perceptions. Respondents who are familiar with alternative proteins and respondents with higher attitudinal certainty are more likely to belong to the optimistic advocates cluster, while farmers are more likely to belong to the cautious conventionalists cluster compared to other stakeholders. Originality/value This study is the first to evaluate and compare the risk, resilience and sustainability perceptions of multiple stakeholder categories towards plant-based protein chains. Additionally, this is the first study exploring resilience perceptions in an agri-food context, further contributing to the novelty.