March 5, 2010
Grocery shoppers are paying closer attention to ethical food claims for practical as well as altruistic reasons, reports a national survey we recently conducted. The research found that 70 percent of respondents believe ethically produced food is better for the environment, 60 percent believe it is healthier and 58 percent believe it is safer to eat. Also, seven out of 10 people report they will pay more for ethically produced foods.
These findings are among the highlights of a new research report, “Ethical Food – The Ethical Claims That Matter Most To Food Shoppers,” conducted in January 2010. A copy of the report is available at the Context Marketing website.
Consumers are paying more attention to ethical brand claims as a way to identify foods that are of higher quality as well as to support brands they see acting in a socially responsible way. We found that “ethical” is a broad term when consumers apply it to food purchases. When we asked consumers what they mean by “ethical food,” more than 90 percent of respondents identified three main qualities: protects the environment, meets high quality and safety standards, and treats farm animals humanely.
According to the survey, 69 percent of respondents said they will pay more for food produced to higher ethical standards. Of this total, 57 percent are willing to pay up to a 10 percent premium for ethical food and 12 percent say they will pay even more. Many consumers also said they are more loyal to food brands they see as ethically produced and are more likely to recommend them to others.
The survey also found that consumers seem to be listening to advocates of eating locally. Sixty-six percent of survey respondents agree that locally produced food is always preferable and 42 percent believe that locally produced food is safer to eat.
