Local Sourcing Background
The profile of local sourcing has grown over the last few years with many retailers and some foodservice companies actively looking to expand their local food offer. Consumer interest in locally produced foods has grown commensurate with improving availability:
- In 2002 IGD research showed that 59% of the population was interested in buying locally produced food.
- In the top-ten wish-list for supermarket shopping, ‘locally produced food availability’ was ranked number three in 2003 and number four in 2004 by consumers, topped only by price and promotion related wishes.
What are local foods?
- 63% of consumers see local foods as those produced fairly close-by, either 30 miles from where they live or buy the food from, or from the country the live.
- One in five consumers think bigger; for 13% local is their home nation, either England Scotland or Wales, and a further 8% see local as food produced in Britain.
What are local foods?
Local Foods. Source: IGD Consumer Research, 2003
Attributes of local foods?
For the majority of consumers, ‘localness’ and patriotic emotions are not sufficient to encourage them to buy local foods. The quality of the food is key.
Attributes of local foods: importance to consumers
Source: IGD Consumer Research, 2003
For ‘local’ food to compete in today’s marketplace, it must respond to the current demands of consumers and also the parameters within which food choices are made, such as money and time available.
