KANSAS CITY — Sustainability has been a leading food and beverage industry trend for years, but the remarkable progress manufacturers have made in pursuit of sustainability was on full display at the Natural Products Expo West trade show in March. Companies demonstrated both sustainability’s prominence in their operations and the marketplace as well as the complexity that has emerged as the trend splinters into numerous differentiated issues, programs and claims.
Several market researchers have highlighted how consumer concerns about conserving the environment and mitigating the effects of climate change have risen in importance over the years. Today, some consumers say the health of the planet is as important to them as their personal health. This mindset has prompted companies to demonstrate their commitment to sustaining the environment and addressing consumer concerns with the implementation of various sustainability initiatives.
But the “health of the planet” is a vague phrase. At Natural Products Expo West, carbon neutral, carbon zero, traceability, regenerative agriculture, upcycling, food waste reduction and agroforestry, to name a few, all were sustainability concepts highlighted on the show floor.
Data from Innova Market Insights show that in 2023 the macro-sustainability issues of most concern to consumers were traceability at No. 1 followed by carbon-related issues, farming practices and resource use. Traceability at the top spot demonstrates how important claim verification is to consumers, and the importance of carbon neutrality and reduction reflects growing concern about the impact of climate change.
Thomas Vierhile, Innova Market Insights’ vice president of strategic insights for North America, noted in a presentation at Natural Products Expo West that farming practices also remain important to consumers, but the subject has fragmented with new and emerging concepts. He said regenerative agriculture has “really taken off,” with new product introductions promoting company efforts around the practice growing at a compound annual growth rate of 67%.
“That’s a massive increase,” he said. “That’s not 67% in one year; that’s an average of 67% each year.”
Emerging farming practice claims that may be catching on with consumers include agroforestry, which involves the planting of bushes and trees in fields to create habitats for pollinators and to help keep soil intact from season to season, and perennial cropping, which also is related to soil health.
Regenerative agriculture, agroforestry and perennial cropping may be tapping into the future of sustainability, which revolves around the concept of “nature protection,” Vierhile said.
“Going forward, this is a huge initiative,” he said.
Additional issues of concern to consumers around nature protection include deforestation, animal welfare, ocean protection, particularly around keeping plastic out of the oceans, and responsible water usage. Companies have made strides in many of these areas over the years, but consumer sentiment now appears to be coalescing around them as a singular trend.
Taste, price and convenience always have been the top three attributes consumers seek when buying foods and beverages. If this year’s Natural Products Expo West is any indication, sustainability is quickly rising and, even if it never reaches the level of the top three attributes, it is going to continue to have a significant impact on food and beverage production and innovation.
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