In Mintel's Sustainability Barometer 2022¹, 61% of Japanese consumers say climate change is in their top three environmental concerns². According to Mintel’s Global Consumer data, 53% of French consumers say climate change will have an effect on the food/drink they buy³.

Increasingly, consumers want to feel like they are making a difference by changing their consumption patterns. In the US, 77% of consumers believe individuals' sustainable actions have a global impact⁴. 73% of German consumers say that small changes to everyday habits can make a big difference to the environment⁵. In Spain, 77% of consumers say buying ethical food and drink makes them feel good⁶.

However, consumers are confused about what sustainable actions they should prioritize and food and drink brands need to provide guidance. In Canada, 83% of consumers say it is hard to know what the most sustainable choice is⁷. Food and drink brands will need to simplify choices and use metrics that are easy to understand yet comprehensive like carbon footprinting. In Canada, 44% of consumers say the carbon footprint of the food and drink they buy in store is a key environmental concern⁸.

For example, life cycle assessments of products show that 80-90% of carbon footprint comes from the production (agriculture/processing) phases. Additionally, food production contributes to 37% of global greenhouse gas emissions⁹. Consumers will therefore turn to claims that focus on more sustainable ways to produce and process food.

The pandemic has made people more conscious of the amount of food they waste and 79% of Italians say the COVID-19 outbreak has encouraged them to waste less food¹⁷. However, during the pandemic, consumers had more time at home and could control better the amount of food they cooked and therefore wasted. In a post-pandemic world where consumers are faced with less time to consider food waste, they are turning to products that reduce food waste for them, eg with upcycled ingredients. In Canada, 39% of consumers say they currently purchase foods that help reduce food waste and another 52% say they would consider doing so¹⁸.

More education is needed on the terminology used when adding ingredients from waste, however, as only 17% of Canadian consumers say “upcycled ingredients” resonate with them when purchasing food and drinks¹⁹. Campaigns that have been successful in engaging consumers with food waste have used more fun and less technical words such as “ugly fruits and vegs” or “broken faces”.