According to consumer research company C.O.nxt, consumers are just as concerned as ever about achieving a sustainable food system despite disruptions caused by the pandemic. In fact, sustainability is more important now than it was a year ago, according to the company’s new poll. Additionally, the way consumers define sustainability is now broadened to include social concerns as well as new environmental impacts.
 
To gauge definitions, demands, and expectations about sustainability, C.O.nxt partnered with Menu Matters in an online survey of 750 U.S. consumers.
 
“This research shows that food producers from farms to supermarkets and restaurants must remain transparent in communicating their sustainable practices to customers,” Mark Gale, chief growth officer of C.O.nxt said.
 
A full 80% of consumers say sustainability is important to some degree when deciding what foods and beverages to purchase from a supermarket or order from a restaurant. More than half of those polled said that they were either somewhat or significantly more concerned about sustainability compared to a year ago.
 
Although sustainability ranked high across all segments, those between the ages of 18 and 44 rated it highest, with more than one third of this group rating sustainability as “extremely important.”
 
The motivations for heightened concern included reasons such as impacts on food workers, climate change, and wildfires. An increased use of single-use plastic ranked high as a sustainability concern, likely due to more frequent carryout meals being bought during the pandemic.
 
Broader Definitions
 
Consumers increasingly tie sustainability to factors extending beyond the environment, the company said, to areas such as affordable food, fair wages for workers, and humane treatment of animals. Nearly half of those polled defined sustainability as encompassing social and economic issues, in addition to environmental impact. Only 19% of those surveyed defined sustainability as exclusively related to the environment.
 
“Along with broader definitions of sustainability come expectations for specific action. Merely claiming to be sustainable is not enough,” Maeve Webster of Menu Matters said.
 
Younger consumers, who are more concerned about sustainability, are most likely to completely trust sustainability claims from food and beverage providers. Boomers, in contrast, are significantly less likely to trust claims, the company said.
 
When asked what specific statements they would trust most from food and beverage providers, respondents ranked a commitment to assessing the overall environmental footprint of ingredients, a commitment to animal welfare and care standards related to animal products, and a broad-based commitment to sustainable goals and transparent reporting across their organization.
 
More than half of the survey respondents said they would “definitely” or “probably” be willing to pay more for greater sustainability efforts on the part of food and beverage manufacturers or restaurants. Young consumers were the most likely to be willing to pay more. However, these findings come with a caveat.
 
“Pricing research can be tricky,” Gale said. “Consumers don’t always do what they say. But it’s worth noting that younger age groups show high interest in food and sustainability and concern over these specific topics. The food system should keep this in mind going forward.”