Consumer Attitudes to Food Production
Ethical consumerism has previously been identified as one of the current industry trends. One of the drivers of this has been the way that shoppers perceive food production in general. As few shoppers have experience of primary production, they often lack an understanding of how food is produced. The trend towards purchasing ethically is a response to this lack of understanding as shoppers perceive greater visibility in ethical products than in their conventional counterparts.
Shoppers’ main food production concerns
Top of shoppers list of concerns regarding food production in 2007:
- 42% Hygiene in the factories
- 37% Animal living conditions
- 29% Additives used in food
- 29% Hygiene on the farm
- 28% What the animals are fed
Areas causing concern in food production
Base: All main shoppers. Source: IGD Consumer Unit, 2007
Key trends over last couple of years
IGD regularly tracks shoppers’ attitudes to food production. Having conducted similar research in 2005, a number of key trends are highlighted by this research.
More shoppers are concerned about how food is produced (including on the farm and in the factory) than they were in 2005. In 2007 only 14% of shoppers had no concerns and claimed to be happy with how the food they buy has been produced; this has decreased from 18% in 2005.
The nature of shoppers’ concerns has also changed somewhat over the last couple of years:
- There is increasing concern regarding animal living conditions; which has risen from 30% in 2005 to 37% in 2007.
- Whilst only felt by a small proportion of shoppers, there is also growing concern about the distance food has travelled to reach the shop (16% in 2007, from 11% in 2005) and the impact producers have in developing countries (9% in 2007, from 3% in 2005).
- On the other hand, concern regarding BSE has waned over the last couple of years, from 21% in 2005 to 14% in 2007.
The three areas of increased shopper concern are explored in more detail below.
Aspects with no change in level of concern
Factory hygiene each year tops the list of shopper concerns although most shoppers admit to knowing very little about the factory process. It would appear, therefore, that shopper concerns about food production are focussed on those areas where visibility is at its weakest.
Other issues, such as additives used in food, what the animals are fed, the impact of pesticides on the environment and the impact of GM have also remained static over the last two years.
Animal living conditions
One of the areas of growing concern is regarding ‘animal living conditions’. This is possibly driven by the media coverage highlighting instances of poor animal welfare as well as recent diseases effecting farmers such as bird flu and foot & mouth. Television food programmes such as Gordon Ramsey’s F-Word, and Hugh Fearnley Whittingstalls’ River Cottage have also included segments relating to animal rearing.
The increase in this response is also contributing towards growth in ethical consumerism as shoppers opt for free range and higher welfare products as a conscious choice to improve standards of welfare in food producing animals.
Shoppers from higher socio-economic backgrounds are more likely to be concerned about animal living conditions, with 56% of AB’s citing this is a concern compared to 37% overall.
The distance food has travelled to reach the shop
Shoppers are increasingly concerned about the distance food travels before it gets to the store. Food miles and the associated environmental debate is a regular theme reported in the media. Supermarkets have responded by increasing the number of locally sourced products, such as localchoice milk available at Tesco, and with the introduction of labels to highlight British produce as well as foods that have travelled by air freight. This trend is also reflected by the growing popularity of farmers’ markets.
Again, it is shoppers from higher social grades who are more likely to be concerned by food miles, mentioned by 21% of AB’s compared to 9% amongst all shoppers.
The impact producers have in developing countries
While only 9% have mentioned the impact producers have in developing countries, this has increased threefold, from 3% in 2005. Among shoppers in social grades AB this is a concern for around 1 in 5 (21%).
The dramatic growth in sales of fairtrade certified products over the last couple of years is testament to this growing concern among shoppers. The annual Fairtrade Fortnight and initiatives such as Sainsbury’s commitment to stocking only fairtrade bananas have also raised the profile of this concern and helped to leverage shopper response.
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