In our society and economy, the vending sector is particularly important, constituting an ‘out-of-home’ service providing snacks and beverages for immediate consumption via vending machines. Vending machines are widespread in cities in public/private spaces, and they are often the closest, quickest, and most convenient means for people to obtain food during breaks from work or study. The vending industry is often associated with the sale of junk food and little is known about how it is evolving towards sustainable development goals. This talk will describe new academic findings and development paths related to sustainability in the industry, bringing to light an untapped and perhaps not yet fully understood potential.

Alberto Bertossi is a post-doc researcher of the University of Udine. His main research areas are the study of consumer behaviour with a view to agri-food sustainability, and circular economy and sustainable development applied to vending and catering services.