Two-thirds (66%) of consumers have already changed or are considering making changes to be healthier and make more sustainable choices.
The Appetite for Change report aims to provide ‘tangible inspiration’ to encourage the food and consumer goods industry to make positive changes.
Research that focussed on 1,000 people found consumers understood the principles of a balanced diet but what they ate didn’t reflect this, resulting in a gap between knowledge and action.
Susan Barratt, chief executive of IGD, said: “Extensive studies have shown that education alone will not change behaviour, which is why we have collaborated with behaviour change experts and a wide range of stakeholders to understand how, together, we can advocate and support consumers on this journey.
“The research reveals that consumers fall into three mind-sets; those who are making changes to be healthy and more sustainable, those who are considering it, and those who see no reason to change.
“Because the majority (66%) of people in the UK are open to making changes to what they eat and drink, the scale of change can be phenomenal. It is this group of people that, with the help of industry, are actively looking for products and solutions that meet their needs.”
According to research those consumers who rate the health and sustainability of their diets as eight or more out of ten say some of their actions included increasing the intake of plant-based foods (42%), reducing their meat intake (39%) and reducing their dairy intake (23%).
Almost a quarter of 18-24-year-olds are ‘motivated’ by concerns about the environment to pursue a more sustainable and healthier diet.
IGD identified five steps to encourage a behavioural change:
- Ease: Adopting ‘meat-free Mondays’ is more likely to help people make smaller steps towards a bigger change.
- Signposting: Make it easier for consumers to see healthy and sustainable products on menus.
- Placement: Putting healthy and sustainable products in prime positions.
- Product: ensure healthy and sustainable options are 'appealing and inspiring’.
- Influence: Use recipe cards and online influencers to help ‘motivate and inspire’ consumers.
Barratt added: “Appetite for Change identifies huge opportunities to start shifting people’s behaviour and recommends next steps the food industry can take in this direction.
“We all have a role to play, but our impact will be much greater if we come together to drive the change required. We are keen to continue this work with industry and academia to test different approaches and identify the most effective initiatives to drive positive change.”