Sustainably Produced or Packaged

Sustainability encompasses a broad range of product and process features, including sourcing, ingredients, packaging, human welfare, animal welfare, ecology, food waste, and many others. As reflected by Innova Market Insights’ #1 trend for 2022, “Shared Planet”, consumer expectations around sustainability are higher than ever. This pushes companies to prioritize eco-efficiency, especially to reduce food and plastic waste. Innova’ research indicates that consumers are “expecting companies to invest in sustainability” (75%).*

Different generations of consumers from around the globe define sustainability differently and set sustainability priorities based on their unique perspective. When we look at how sustainability concerns vary by age, we find that Baby Boomers consumers are concerned about the health of the planet the most (35%), followed by Gen X (34%), Millennials (34%) and Gen Z (33%)**. Minimized food waste is one of the top actions for consumers globally to be more environmentally responsible in their food choices and eating habits in the last 12 months (43%)**.

Environmental welfare trust marks have also gained traction, with some notable additions such as the Plastic Free Trust Mark appearing more widely on packages. This trust mark and others, including the Metal Recycles Forever and FSC-certified logos, are freely available to brands meeting the necessary criteria and provide clear communication of environmental stewardship. For example, there has been a 15% average annual growth in food and beverage launches with ethical-environment claims, according to a Innova Market Insights (Global, CAGR July 2017 - June 2022).

* Innova consumer survey 2020; average of the values for the UK, USA, Spain, France, Brazil, India, Germany, Mexico, China and Indonesia

** Innova consumer survey 2022; average of the values for the UK, Canada, USA, Spain, France, Brazil, India, Germany, Mexico, China and Indonesia

The table below shows top market subcategories as a percentage (%) of overall F&B launches tracked with ethical claims:

* Innova Consumer Survey 2019. Average of U.K., U.S., Spain, France, Brazil, India, Germany, Mexico, China, and Indonesia