Three Trends Set to Drive Consumer Food Conversations

KANSAS CITY, MO – Issues that have appeared in the food industry over the past few months may drive new consumer demands in the future. According to the Center for Food Integrity (CFI), while not mainstream yet, three pandemic-era consumer trends are emerging as consumers look to the food industry to find sustainable solutions using technology.

The first trend involves shortening the supply chain with consumers talking about “food miles” and the desire to buy foods that travel shorter distances. This is the most dominant of the trends. Hydroponics is the second emerging conversation as consumers want to talk about vertical farming as a sustainable solution. Finally, lab-cultured meat is gaining traction primarily as a means to reduce the environmental impact of traditional animal agriculture, as well as to solve for the concerns around animal welfare.

Charlie Arnott is CEO of the CFI and points out that agriculture still has a great story to tell, but warns against making knee-jerk decisions that appear sustainable on the surface, but may fall short. Instead, he says, approach sustainability carefully and strategically.