Features
Good intentions
Travelling through small towns and villages in south-east Devon last summer, I was pleasantly surprised at how often phrases like 'all organic' and 'locally produced' were proudly displayed on chalkboards and signs outside of cafés, pubs and restaurants. The usual mix of convenience and processed foods were easy to find too, but there was a tangible pride in fresh, local and organically produced goods - one we have yet to see really emerge anywhere in Ireland.
Positive research
Research suggests that consumers are generally positive about sustainable food, and want to make shopping choices that are kinder on the environment. A recent study by Bord Bia found that seven out of ten shoppers prefer to buy local food, which they see as healthy, fresh, natural, and supportive of their local economy. Most consumers interviewed thought that local food tastes better too. Promisingly, of those who make an effort to buy local food, more claim to get it from farmer's markets than from supermarkets. Indeed, markets, farm shops and box schemes are expanding. As well as this, almost four fifths of Irish consumers say that its important food comes from a producer "with tradition and heritage on their side".
So far so good, right? But just because most consumers "prefer" to buy local food doesn't necessarily mean that they avoid environmentally costly air-freighted produce. Likewise, just because people are "positive" about organic produce - as research indicates they are - doesn't mean they will fill their shopping trolley with it.
Surveys and statistics?
The reality is that organic, local, seasonal produce still represents a niche market - in Ireland and in England. It may be growing, but so too is obesity, the market for convenience foods and the number of out-of-town big-box supermarkets. Surveys might show that people want to buy food products that are sustainable, but their buying habits don't necessarily back that up.
A study by the Food Safety Authority found that only eleven per cent of Irish consumers buy organic food regularly. Similar research in the UK found that less than twenty per cent bought organic food "at least occasionally", while only one in six claimed to include organic produce in their diet "often".
The Institute of Grocery Distribution (IGD), a UK group, found that consumers rarely consider the impact of their food purchases on anything other than themselves or their family - the environment, animal welfare and fair trade don't enter the picture. Worryingly, the IGD research also suggests that even consumers with an interest in food production issues don't necessarily buy sustainably produced food more often. The study concluded that price, convenience, and value for money are still the main motivations - good intentions may still be just that. So it seems that people are positive about local and organic food, and would perhaps like to but it more often, but aren't backing that up with action in substantial numbers. Why not?
Actions or words?
Despite a lot of progress by the sustainable food sector, key barriers to progress remain. Cost is an obvious one. Research suggests that while consumers are willing to pay up to twenty-five per cent more for sustainably produced food, the premium on organic food is often higher. And even for those who can afford to buy organic food regularly, lack of clear information can prevent them from doing so.
Availability is another issue. We all appreciate, perhaps secretly, the fact that we can now buy food at any time of day or night. Many of us now rely on the ever-expanding opening hours of supermarkets and convenience shops to fit food shopping into our busy lifestyles. Unfortunately, farmers markets and farm shops can't provide the same convenience and even though the organic sections in supermarkets are slowly growing, they are still far from extensive. Consumers might not want to buy organic food in supermarkets anyway - we often buy local, organic food not just for the product but also for the experience of a market or local shop and the interaction with the seller. Supermarkets can't provide that. Reassuringly, consumers do appear to have a genuine preference for home-grown produce, as Bord Bia's research indicates. Our country has a green image, both at home and abroad. Whether it is deserved or not is separate question, but visitors picture Ireland as a largely undeveloped land of rolling hills and clear streams. We take pride in this, and like to think of our image as a clean, green nation too. And while this can only be good for Irish food producers, might it actually be holding back the organic sector? If Irish consumers have such a high image of 'conventional' home grown food, could this be dampening the incentive for them to make the extra stretch and go organic? It's a possibility that should be explored.
Removing barriers
Some trends are clear when it comes to sustainably produced food: It still represents a small market, and we may have good intentions about it, but cost and convenience is often the bottom line. So how could the 'local, seasonal, organic' mantra be better promoted?
For a start, accessibility can be improved. Trevor Sargent claims that one of his priorities as junior agriculture minister is to expand farmers markets and other avenues for direct farmer-to-consumer sales, such as farm shops and box schemes. If his endeavours prove to be successful, it could give a crucial boost to the organic sector and help to make sustainable food less of a niche product.
And while it may seem terribly obvious, the old adage that information is power still rings true. Studies show that people presented with simple information about the advantages of sustainable food products are more likely to buy them. Unfortunately, with so many different interests operating in the food business - and many of them motivated more by profit than principle - information coming from the organic food sector can get lost. But at least it has been established that people with access to clear, concise information are willing to change their buying habits. With this in mind, sustainable food producers and their representative organisations should vigorously pursue every avenue for getting their message across.
Accentuate the positive
Emphasising the positives is key to doing that, according to Davie Phillip of the Cultivate Centre for Sustainable Living in Dublin - not just the obvious health and environmental positives, but the lifestyle ones too. "For example", Davie says, "buying food locally, at markets, is a totally different and better experience to going to a supermarket". Davie believes the Slow Food movement has done a particularly good job of popularising a more environmentally harmonious method of food production. "Slow food sounds somewhat backward, but through good communication they have made it a brand of quality and taste. When you buy it, you know it's going to taste better, it will be healthier, and it will create local jobs."
There is huge potential for the organic and sustainable food market to tap into. Promisingly for its prospects, the Bord Bia survey did indicates that people are now starting to think more about where there food comes from. A change of attitudes could be on the horizon, fuelled by the unavoidable prominence of environmental stories in the media in recent years.
The conclusions of Bord Bia's survey on attitudes to local food provides some interesting market research information that could be useful not just to that sector, but to organic producers too. In their quest to grow, a minority of organic companies have decided to somewhat copy the marketing and business models of their bigger "conventional" competitors. If Bord Bia's conclusions are anything to go by, that would be bad idea.
Small is beautiful
The conclusions? Consumers want their food providers to maintain their small values as they grow, keeping the look and feel of cottage industry. They also want to build genuine relationships with them, and want the food products they buy packaged in minimalist and traditional-style packaging. If this really is what the average consumer desires from their food buying experience, organic producers are already one step ahead.
The sustainable food sector could be approaching a unique crossroads of opportunities. Consumers are well disposed to organic and local food, but haven't been totally convinced yet. However, interest in where our food come from appears to be growing, as does the number and variety of outlets for organic and local producers to sell. At the same time, as oil prices continue to rise unchecked, the cost of intensively produced food is likely to rise with it. There are abundant opportunities for sustainable food producers. If they can be capitalised upon, we could be seeing phrases like 'locally produced' and 'all organic' hanging outside a lot more restaurants and cafés on our streets in the not-too-distant future.
