Survey: Cost of living crisis crimps sustainable food shopping
A new consumer survey from United Kingdom agtech startup Varda reveals just 29% of consumers said they are willing to pay more for sustainable items.
The research, which was based on responses from 1,000 consumers in the U.K., found that 88% do consider where their food comes from. However, only 29% of those polled are willing to pay more for food that is sustainably sourced, according to a news release.
Sixty-three percent of consumers surveyed see themselves as sustainably aware, with 70% concerned about the future of our food supply, the release said.
The results reveal the cost-of-living crisis has significantly impacted consumers in the past six months, with 100% noting rising food costs, the release said. This has affected the food choices and shopping habits of 89% of respondents, according to the release.
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A limited budget was the primary factor in consumers being unable to access sustainably sourced foods, with only 29% of people willing to pay more for sustainable items, according to the release.
If they were to buy greener items, 86% of those surveyed would only pay up to 25% more for them, the release said.
Almost half (46%) said they would choose a sustainably sourced product, and almost half (48%) would consider the environmental impact of buying certain foods that have a high carbon footprint, according to the release.
Fifty-eight percent of consumers said they are not currently adjusting their eating habits to benefit the environment. On the other hand, 71% said they would alter their diet moving forward to reduce the environmental impact of food production.
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"Ultimately, these results highlight that sustainability is like a glass that is both half full and half empty," Varda CEO Davide Ceper said in the release. “While there has been some progress made when it comes to creating a future food supply that is less environmentally impacting, there are clearly major concerns when it comes to the accessibility of greener food choices."
Varda aims to encourage the transition to a nature-positive food system and regenerative farming by enhancing interoperability and transparency across the food value chain, the release said. Varda's Global FieldID aims to establish a shared geospatial reference framework that encompasses the entire agriculture industry. This "QR code for fields" aims to enhance collaboration in the supply chain for stakeholders to exchange data across the agricultural sector, the release said.
Varda’s Global FieldID service is currently available in France, the Netherlands and the U.K., and it will be released in Brazil, the U.S. and key European agricultural markets in 2023, according to the release.
