Consumer perceptions of environmentally sustainable food and associated labels

How consumers identify environmentally sustainable food

Of the 70% of Canadian consumers that say they look for environmentally sustainable food:^{Endnote 1}

• 75% use a label (for example, independently certified label, claims an environmental benefit).^{Endnote 1}
• 46% look for reduced plastics or no packaging.^{Endnote 1}
• 36% associate environmental sustainability with a local farm or farmers market.^{Endnote 1}
• 34% rely on the retailer to indicate that products are environmentally sustainable.^{Endnote 1}

Consumers value food healthiness, taste and price over a sustainability label

• 62% say health is more important than a sustainability label.^{Endnote 2}
• 61% say taste is more important than a sustainability label.^{Endnote 2}
• 58% say price is more important than a sustainability label.^{Endnote 2}

Some Canadians trust that food is produced in an environmentally sustainable way, but the majority are skeptical about labels

Some are trusting

• 45% trust that products with a sustainability label are better for the environment.^{Endnote 2}
• 40% of Canadians are confident that food products are produced in a sustainable way (for example, environmentally friendly, resource efficient, ethically responsible).^{Endnote 2}

Those that lack confidence

• 75% think products labelled “green” are a marketing tool^{Endnote 3}
• 44% report that sustainability labels are confusing.^{Endnote 2}
• Only 30% are very confident that food in grocery stores is accurately labeled as environmentally sustainable.^{Endnote 1}

What consumers look for or want to learn

• 7 in 10 consumers are looking for more information on sustainability in product advertisements and say they view these ads as an awareness tool.^{Endnote 3}
• Over 60% identified reducing packaging and plastic in packaging as sustainable actions they would like companies to take.^{Endnote 3}
• For food sustainability labels to be impactful, consumers want to learn more about the systems and standards behind the label and how compliance is verified.^{Endnote 4}