Client:
Brief:
To uncover the themes that play a role in influencing consumers to eat more healthily, more sustainably, and to be more open towards food innovation. The insights, in conjunction with findings from the TrustTracker® project, are used to plan future dialogue and engagement with the EIT Food community.
Our approach:
Future of Food Institute and EIT Food have a mission in common: empower the consumer to be actively involved in improving the food chain.
Together with 178 participants, from 13 European countries, we co-created 12 key themes that play a role in influencing consumers to eat more healthily, more sustainably, and to be more open towards food innovation.
Data for this study was collected in an online community, in which European citizens took part in a total of 40 (mini-)assignments. Over three periods of 5-10 days, the community members took part in open discussions, photo assignments, short questionnaires, and polls.
Findings in a nutshell:
The ‘secret’ formula
Together with the participants we co-created 12 strategies that can play a role in influencing consumers to eat more healthily, more sustainably, and to be more open towards food innovation. The aim of these strategies is to help (re)build trust in the food system, as well as spark ideas for innovation.
These twelve strategies come together in a simple formula:
Trust = (Transparency & Control + Simplicity) x Love
For each element of the formula we developed a number of strategies that actors in the food chain can follow in order to build trust, including best practices and examples of organisations already applying these strategies.
Transparency & Control
Currently, consumers lack the means to exert control over the food chain. They need to rely on the food chain actors themselves and authorities to check. This theme is about making the food chain transparent, so that everyone can see what is happening.
Associated strategies:
- Radical transparency
- Full clarity
- Power of community
- Sensible logos
Simplicity
One reason for lack of trust is that, for a lot of different kinds of food, it’s simply too difficult to understand how it’s produced and where it’s from. This theme is about increasing simplicity to make it easier to know what good food is.
Associated strategies:
- Simplicity
- Short supply chains & hyperlocalism
- Tangible sustainability
Building love
If you love a person, you are willing to invest time into getting to know that person. It’s the same with food. And we don’t mean the shallow cravings one can have for a certain food at a certain moment, but a deep and genuine affection for (a certain) food.
Associated strategies:
- Education
- Curiosity
- Trial made easy
- Modern nostalgia
- Influencers
The aim of these themes is to help (re)build trust in the food system, as well as spark ideas for innovation.
The full report contains many insights about actors in the food chain and the preconditions for changing consumer behavior.
Download a snapshot of the report here:
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We believe that understanding consumers is key to making the food system more sustainable. Successful innovation and impactful communication require a solid foundation of consumer insight.
We are the insights partner of choice for food companies and non-profits that aim to have a positive impact on society and our planet. Together we empower consumers to make food choices that are good for them as well as for the planet.
