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FMCG Gurus Column ¦ IDM
shopping habits in order to become more sustainable. This effectively
creates a much bigger impact as consumers and brands work
together to create a better future.
Besides benefiting the environment, 68% of consumers reported
changing to a sustainable diet made them feel healthier,
associating wellness of the environment with increased internal
wellness. Consumers want food and drink products that are both
beneficial to themselves and the planet. Proving concerns about
the environment manifests into actual behavior, influencing consumer
shopping habits and lifestyle choices.
Impact the dairy industry
has on sustainability
The dairy industry is a big contributor to concerns such as carbon
emissions, farming and plastic pollution, and food wastage.
Dairy brands need to demonstrate their ethical and environmental
credentials in order to strengthen their relationship with
consumers as well as committing to improving environmental wellness.
Three quarters of global consumers say that sustainability
pledges are important when buying dairy products. The top five
pledges that consumers are most likely to look for when buying
dairy are reduced carbon footprint; animal welfare initiatives; recyclable
packaging; initiatives around ethical treatment of farmers
and less plastic. Reduced carbon footprint was rated highest, with
67% of consumers reporting this is what they look out for when
purchasing dairy. Therefore, dairy companies should examine how
they can make reductions in areas like farming pollution.
Freshness is something that consumers prioritize when purchasing
dairy products, especially as freshness is closely associated
to naturalness, locality and quality. Brands need to ensure they are
not contributing to food waste by re-examining use-by-dates, encouraging
consumers to not be so overly cautious in order to promote
sustainability. Finding solutions to overcome problems and
promoting sustainability will strengthen consumer satisfaction.
Conclusion
Moreover, consumers are taking matters into their own hands by
switching to plant-based products in order to increase sustainability,
as the concerns surrounding dairy farming increase. With a
noticeable increase in consumers who claim to eat or drink dairy
alternative products, with 47% of consumers saying that they turn
to plant-based products in order to be more sustainable. We can
predict this number will continue to increase as concerns for sustainability
grow in hopes to save the state of the planet.
In order for brands to meet the requirements of consumers,
they too must look to behave in a more sustainable way from
farming to packaging, down to the shelf life of products in order
to strengthen relationships with consumers, as well as encourage
more sustainable behavior.
This article is based on FMCG Gurus
Sustainability survey series in 2022.
For more information, please contact
info@fmcggurus.com.
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