More than half of Irish consumers choose sustainably produced food in weekly shop
Research from Nestlé’s KitKat Breaks for Good campaign reveals almost half of 25-34-year-olds enjoy chocolate more when sustainably made, with 71% taking steps like buying ethically sourced goods
Print11 September 2024
With a third of all global emissions coming from the food system, effort is needed to respond to this climate change challenge.
More than half of Irish consumers asked (51%) * now claim to actively look for and purchase sustainably produced food products with almost nine in 10 (87%) believing producers should be supported to be as sustainable as possible.
The findings* are revealed in research as part of Nestlé’s KitKat Breaks for Good campaign in Ireland spotlighting the importance of quality production and the integral role of cocoa farming families in the iconic KitKat chocolate treat.
Income Accelerator Programme
To date, more than 30,000 cocoa-farming families are supported through Nestlé’s Income Accelerator Programme** which builds on long standing work of the Nestlé Cocoa Plan.
The global sustainability initiative aims to close the living income gap of cocoa farming families through four main pillars – school enrollment, good agricultural practices, agroforestry and income diversification.
By 2030, it aims to reach an estimated 160,000 cocoa farming families in Nestlé’s supply chain.
The research findings show a difference among the generations with sustainability front of mind for almost half (48%) of 25-34-year-olds.
It finds that this cohort attributes greater enjoyment of a favourite chocolate treat with how sustainably it is produced- in contrast to a little over a fifth (21%) of 65+ year olds.
Those aged 18-35 years (63%) said the provenance of items in their grocery basket was important, in contrast to over one in 10 of 45-54 years (16%).
Conscious consumption
A little more than seven in 10 (71%) say they take small, practical, everyday actions such as seeking out ethically sourced goods as part of personal environmental commitments.
“For Irish people it’s clear from the research findings that trying to be a more “conscious consumer” is front-of-mind,” said Maria McKenna, Confectionery Marketing manager, Nestlé Ireland.
The research shows that Irish people are attuned to the impact of committing to taking sustainability actions daily and how this contributes in a positive manner to the environment.
More than eight in 10 Irish consumers (85%) believe that being aware and informed of the environmental sustainability of the products they use is a key element of living sustainably.
Consumers also want brands to support producers to be as sustainable as possible.
”At Nestlé UK&I, we are using fully traceable and responsibly sourced cocoa in all our Nestlé Ireland chocolate brands as part of the Income Accelerator Programme, something we know resonates strongly with our consumers,” concludes McKenna.
Read more: Nestlé Ireland volunteers help remove over 75kg of litter from Dollymount Beach
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