Mintel, an international food and consumer goods research firm, discovered in their recent research about “sustainable food and drink” that:
- 45% of sustainable food and drink users cite a perceived belief in superior quality as the reason behind their purchases
- 43% say they buy sustainable food and drink because they’re concerned about environmental/human welfare
- 42% say they’re concerned with food safety
While 84% of consumers say they regularly buy green or sustainable food and drink, some are unaware of what the claims actually mean.
Maria Rodale, a “third-generation insider” in the organic food industry, recently spoke at the 3rd Annual Organic Summit held on October 13 in Boston. She too addressed the same issue about consumer confusion, and she added advice about how the organic movement could work together to solve the problem:
- Americans are very confused about what organic is and is not and why organic matters.
- The organic industry must focus on clearing up that confusion and communicating why organic food is so important and the safest food you can buy.
- If we are going to save the world, we are going to have to unite and work together instead of fighting amongst ourselves.
Read more about her take on the “State of the Organic Union.”
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