Editor's note: The following is part of a series of reports from The Packer’s Sustainability Insights 2024, which aims to better understand growers', retailers' and consumers' involvement and market behaviors surrounding packaging, labeling, food waste, and sustainability. The annual survey was designed by Trust In Food — Farm Journal’s sustainable ag division — and conducted and analyzed by Farm Journal Marketing and Research Intelligence.
The following is a letter from Jennifer Strailey, editorial director of The Packer, providing an overview of some insights derived from the survey.
Sustainability is an important concern for the majority of consumers, retailers and growers, finds The Packer’s Sustainability Insights 2024 survey.
Among consumers’ sustainability concerns, addressing climate change, reducing food waste, recycling and eco-friendly packaging all rank high in 2024. The younger the respondent, the higher a priority sustainability is when making a purchase, according to the survey, designed by Trust In Food, Farm Journal’s sustainable ag division and conducted and analyzed by Farm Journal Marketing and Research Intelligence.
Sustainability Insights found that 78% of 18-24-year-olds ranked sustainability as a primary or secondary priority versus 51% of those aged 65 or older. But when it comes to food waste, all demographics are engaged.
Respondents rating reducing food waste as an “extremely important” part of their lives rose 9 percentage points in 2024 from the previous year’s survey. Interestingly, in 2024, 57% of those aged 65 or older ranked reducing food waste as “extremely important,” slightly outpacing 18-24-year-olds, 54% of which ranked reducing food waste as “extremely important.”
Consumers are more actively recycling compared to last year, finds Sustainability Insights 2024. When asked, “How often do you recycle each of the following?” All types of packaging from shopping bags to secondary and primary packaging saw a lift in the number of consumers indicating they “always” recycle those items.
Sustainability is also important to retailers, with 74% calling it a primary or secondary priority for their businesses, finds the report. And from recycling to working to reduce food waste to implementing sustainable packaging solutions, retailers are also doing more to be sustainable themselves.
The Packer’s Sustainability Insights 2024 survey reveals that while growers value sustainability, they often lack documentation for sustainable farming practices.
This year’s survey indicated that 78% of growers polled consider sustainability a top or secondary priority to their operation. Seventy-eight percent of growers also cite cost as their biggest impediment when adopting new sustainability practices, and 60% do not have documentation process for sustainable farming practices, according to the survey.
Part of what makes The Packer’s Sustainability Insights report relevant year after year is the feedback the survey garners from the three distinct perspectives of consumer, retailer and grower. Each year we see areas of overlap and opportunities for greater collaboration and communication these groups.