Driving sustainable food consumption: a stakeholder perspective through the lens of Rescued Kitchen in New Zealand

Sustainable food consumption is integral to achieving the United Nation; Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), requiring collaboration among stakeholders across the food system. Despite growing consumer interest in sustainability, a persistent attitude-behavior gap hinders progress. While existing research explores consumer motivations, the marketing function’s potential to bridge this gap remains underexplored. This article investigates how stakeholders within marketing ecosystems, including businesses, policymakers, and advocacy groups, can collectively promote sustainable food consumption. Using the case study of Rescued Kitchen in New Zealand (NZ), a circular economy enterprise that transforms potential food waste into nutritious products, this study demonstrates practical solutions to food waste challenges. It emphasizes the necessity of partnerships among growers, manufacturers, retailers, and food-rescue redistributors to create systemic change. Additionally, the research highlights marketing’s pivotal role in shaping sustainable strategies, influencing consumer behavior, and driving industry-wide adoption of zero-waste practices. By analyzing Rescued Kitchen’s success, this article contributes actionable insights for NZ businesses striving toward a zero-food-wasteto-landfill future, while advancing broader discussions on sustainable food systems and stakeholder-driven marketing approaches.