Are Consumers Worried About The Food System?
In a time when human conflicts, climate change, and pandemics seem to dominate headlines around the world, consumers are beginning to show concerns about how the global food system will be affected. In this report, researchers asked international consumers to weigh in on some of the most pressing issues related to the global food supply. This includes food accessibility, affordability, and the importance of choosing environmentally-friendly options.
To conduct their research, the authors surveyed a representative sample of between 500–1,000 consumers in 31 countries across the Americas, Africa, Europe, Asia, and Oceania. Note that the majority of these countries were located in Europe, Asia, and North America, so other regions were less represented.
While climate change ranked as consumers’ second-highest global concern, food scarcity was the sixth-highest concern, tied with air quality. The majority of consumers in 23 out of 31 nations listed food shortages as a serious issue, especially in South America. Meanwhile, consumers in China showed the least amount of worry about food scarcity.
Alongside food scarcity, consumers also expressed concerns about food security. Over 90% of consumers said their food prices had gone up in the last three months. In general, many people connect food scarcity and security to other global issues. For example, among consumers who said climate change had directly impacted them, many cited food costs as an example. Similarly, around 50% of global consumers said that their access to food has been affected by climate change, war, the COVID-19 pandemic, and other worldwide events. This was especially an issue among Latin American consumers.
According to the results, interest in vegan and vegetarian (veg*n) diets may be growing. 22% of consumers said they eat veg*n food compared to 17% in 2019. Gen Z and Millennial consumers were the most likely to show interest in plant-based diets (40% and 43%, respectively), yet only 25% of people in Gen Z and 26% of Millennials said they eat plant-based foods most of the time. The authors highlight this disparity, noting that the gap between showing interest in plant-based food vs. actually eating plant-based food was evident in nearly all countries they surveyed.
Despite the limited number of people eating fully plant-based diets, respondents expressed optimism that more people would be eating environmentally-friendly food in the future. For example, 42% of respondents felt that people will either definitely or probably be eating plant-based food instead of meat in the next decade, while 49% said people will either definitely or probably be buying foods without chemicals in the same timeframe.
Finally, 89% of global consumers said it was very or somewhat important to buy eco-conscious and healthy food, with two-thirds expressing willingness to pay more even in the current socio-economic climate. This varied by country, though, with consumers in Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, India, and China more likely to say they would pay more compared to consumers in Japan, Canada, the Netherlands, and Portugal. Men were more likely to say they would pay a higher price for eco-conscious and healthy food compared to women.
As animal advocates, we aim to find ways of feeding the global population without killing and exploiting animals. However, in our efforts to change the food system, it’s important to consider factors such as unexpected world events that can impact the food supply and people’s ability to access healthy, sustainable options. While this study suggests that many international consumers are already interested in plant-based food, it’s important to consider veg*n advocacy on a country-by-country basis. We should tailor our campaigns to account for major concerns and unique pain points in whichever country we’re working in.