What makes a devoted local-food-buying club customer?

Local food-buying clubs (LFBCs) are special types of consumer-driven grassroots groups that are particularly well suited to enhancing the transition to a post-growth economy, given the finite growth potential of individual communities, the tendency of groups to distribute rather than accumulate capital, and the prospects of the movement for expansion. This paper analyses consumers of LFBCs and analyses how the different constructs proposed by the theory of planned behaviour are applicable according to engagement with LFBCs. A representative survey was run in May 2020 in Hungary. Respondents who were classified as devoted (regular) LFBC customers, occasional LFBC customers, and consumers not interested in local food were compared pairwise through matching-based treatment effect analysis approaches. Consumers of LFBCs comprised a heterogeneous group based on their pre-existing beliefs and attitudes. Occasional LFBC customers emphasised the broad quality-related features of local food and the potential for supporting local farmers. For more devoted customers, environmental aspects were very important. As belonging to a group has been shown to shape attitudes, targeted messages applied by LFBC managers may increase the level of engagement, contributing to the more efficient scaling up of local food systems.