Food for Thought: A Survey on the Acceptance of Crops Grown with Treated Wastewater

The looming threat posed by climate change-fuelled droughts has triggered a slew of projects concerned with the reuse of wastewater for agricultural purposes. Across the globe, there is also a growing interest in the direct consumption of treated wastewater. Whilst the requisite technology is well established and the safety can be guaranteed, the instigators of these projects still anticipate consumer resistance. However, there are currently few studies that provide insight into the public acceptance of treated wastewater and the results of these studies are mitigated. Using representative survey data gathered among 300 respondents living in Flanders, Belgium, we show that feelings of disgust and fear of contamination lead to consumer resistance of treated wastewater usage, whilst water conservation behaviour and sense of environmental group-efficacy affect the public acceptance positively. The relation between the acceptance of wastewater and environmental concern, however, is mitigated. In the discussion, we propose an alternative approach to better understand consumer’s environmental attitudes and resistance against the use of treated wastewater. In conclusion, we briefly highlight the relevance of our findings for public communication and policy