Breadcrumbs
Think before you buy – 7 March 2003
This is one of the main findings from new research for the Countryside Agency’s Eat the View initiative, which works to help consumers understand the links between what they buy, how it is produced and the countryside they love.
Other findings from the research, carried out by the Institute of Grocery Distributors (IGD), show:
- self-interest is the main driver of consumers’ purchasing decisions;
- people buy local food because it is fresh and to support local farmers;
- farmers’ markets are increasingly popular because they provide quality, local produce;
- while many consumers claim the English countryside is important to them, only a few make the links between food and the countryside when purchasing food.
Richard Wakeford, Countryside Agency chief executive, said: “One in five people are now taking an interest in where their food has come from and how it was produced. As they discriminate more, they can send messages back to retailers and producers about how food is produced, as well as secure higher quality for themselves.
“At the same time this research shows that most people don’t understand the impact their purchases can make on the countryside they care about. There is a great deal to do to influence the four in five people who show little or no interest in where their food comes from.
“Ultimately we want to see more people buying good quality food - produced by growers who can earn a reasonable livelihood and sustain the character of the countryside. Through Eat the View we are working to capture more value for those farmers who sustain the environment and landscape through the development and promotion of the produce they sell. They currently receive few rewards or incentives through the market and this must change.
“There are positive signs that such change is on the way - the retail industry has responded well to our Eat the View work so far. People seem to trust food with local provenance, linked to simple marketing messages. This improving link between consumers and producers is becoming an increasingly important focus for retailers.”
Full details of the IGD research for the Countryside Agency can be found on the Eat the View web pages at: http://www.countryside.gov.uk/LAR/Landscape/ETV/index.asp
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Further information from the Countryside Agency press office on 020 7340 2909/7/6
The Countryside Agency is the statutory body working to make life better for people in the countryside and improve the quality of the countryside for everyone.
