POSTER PRESENTATION: Hemp as a ‘Sustainable-hyped’ Product: Awareness of Hemp-Based Product Categories in USA and Implications on Sustainability Transitions

Hemp’s success as a re-emerging crop in the US hinges on a solid understanding of the market and consumer demand for its products. In a recent study based on a national survey on hemp demand, the main factors that influence consumer awareness of hemp-based products were assessed. The study has shed some light on the relationship between consumer concern for the environment and level of awareness of hemp-based products. This interaction becomes even more important when we consider the well-recognized contribution of hypes in driving sustainability transitions and the mainstreaming of sustainable products. Hypes are inflated expectations surrounding an innovation (or product) when it first enters the market and are often accompanied by phases of disappointment. The definition is stated according to Gartner’s ‘hype cycle model’ which was developed to forecast new innovations in the early stages of their life cycle. Hemp has been identified as one of such products because of the surge of interest surrounding its sustainability potential after the 2018 Farm Bill, which was followed by disappointments and more realistic frames around its sustainability. In sustainability transition literature, hypes are relevant for proving windows of opportunity for shifting from dominant practices to more sustainable alternatives. This prompted us to consider hemp as a ‘natural-hyped’ product and extend beyond hemp awareness, to encompass the broader sustainability transition theme and gain insights into how hypes influence sustainability transitions.