Farm Sunset (photo by Irish Eyes, courtesy of morgueFile.com)

It would be wise to be a little skeptical about the claims attached to many of the products on today's supermarket shelves. Marketers well know that shoppers want sustainable food, with more than 80% of consumers saying they regularly purchase sustainable food and drink, according to a survey conducted by Mintel, a global consumer research company.

Demand continues to grow, but Mintel says some are unaware of what the claims actually mean. The company has tracked more than 13,000 new food and drink products said to be sustainable since 2005.

“Packaging claims such as ‘recyclable’ or ‘eco- or environmentally friendly’ are fairly well known to consumers, but sustainable product claims such as ‘solar/wind energy usage’ or ‘Fair Trade’ have yet to enter the mainstream consumer consciousness,” David Browne, senior analyst at Mintel points out. “They may have heard of the terms, but they’d be hard-pressed to define them.”

Of those surveyed, 40% have never heard of the solar/wind energy usage claim. The 37% that have say they’ve never purchased food or drink bearing the claim. Reduced carbon footprint/emissions is another lesser-known claim, as 32% have never heard of it. Thirty-four percent say they’ve never heard of the Fair Trade claim.

So, why do they buy?

According to Mintel research, 45% of sustainable food and drink users cite a perceived belief in superior quality as the reason behind their purchases. Meanwhile, 43% say they buy sustainable food and drink because they’re concerned about environmental/human welfare and 42% say they’re concerned with food safety.

“These reasons vary in importance across different demographics. What’s most important to young adults may not be the primary deciding factor for affluent consumers,” notes David Browne. “Marketers should consider this in their claims closely; noting that health, welfare, and safety are important for nearly all consumers.”

Finding a Farmer to Trust

Healthy, safe and environmentally friendly is a pretty good description of the food and drink available from local farmers in virtually every part of the U.S. According to the USDA, there are now 6,132 farmers markets in the U.S., a tripling of the number for 1994. Like the farmstands set up by family farmers, farmers markets offer the opportunity to meet the folks who produced the food and learn more about it.

At the web site of the nonprofit Local Harvest, visitors can conduct a simple search to find farmers markets, family farms, and other sources of sustainably grown food in close proximity.

To find sources of sustrainable food in your area, got to: Local Harvest

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