Xinjian Chen, Ornella Papaluca, Anna Prisco, Azaz Ali Ather Bukhari
ABSTRACT This study investigates the role of sustainability initiatives positioning for the success of crowdfunding campaigns. The study examines the context of food waste crowdfunding campaigns, comparing cases where the initiative is placed in the early stages of the supply chain with cases where the initiative is placed at the end of the supply chain. Specifically, 135 Kickstarter campaigns on food waste management (2009–2023) were analysed. Drawing on signaling theory and consumer behavior perspectives, the results show that downstream initiatives, closer to household consumption, achieve higher performance than upstream projects focused on the production stage. These findings suggest that proximity to consumption domains enhances perceived feasibility and attractiveness, contributing to the success of campaigns. The research contributes to the definition of strategies for sustainable development and stakeholder engagement.