Determinants of Consumer Acceptance of Innovative Agri-Food Products: An Integrated Marketing and Behavioural Framework

Innovative agri-food products combine novel ingredients, production systems, processing technologies, packaging solutions, traceability tools, and sustainability-oriented attributes. Their technical novelty, however, does not automatically generate favourable attitudes or sustained market behaviour. This conceptual review develops a model that follows the complete consumer-response sequence specified for innovative agri-food products. A structured integrative review synthesised 36 academic sources from food marketing, consumer behaviour, innovation diffusion, technology acceptance, perceived quality, trust, risk, engagement, and post-purchase research. The model positions awareness, information, and perceived innovation attributes; perceived ease of use; perceived usefulness; trust; perceived risk; and perceived quality as antecedents of attitude. Attitude is treated as the central mediator and is linked sequentially to consumer engagement, purchase intention, purchase decision making, satisfaction, and recommendation or word of mouth. The model specifies a negative relationship for perceived risk and positive relationships for all other links in the sequence. Examples from hydroponic products, alternative proteins, upcycled foods, non-thermal processing, smart packaging, QR codes, and blockchain-supported traceability illustrate the meaning of each construct. The review contributes by integrating technology-related and food-specific evaluations, separating active engagement from purchase intention, distinguishing intention from the broader purchase-decision process, and extending the model beyond first purchase to satisfaction and advocacy. The proposed relationships are stated as eleven clearly numbered propositions. The article also clarifies the conceptual boundaries required for empirical testing and provides illustrative measurement guidance so that risk, quality, attitude, engagement, intention, decision making, satisfaction, and word of mouth remain empirically distinct. The model provides a direct theoretical foundation for factor analysis, regression, mediation analysis, and structural equation modelling in research on consumer responses to innovative agri-food products.