Green is good, but who trusts it?

A new study finds only a third of EU consumers trust the green credentials of food products

Only a third of European consumers feel confident that food products are generally produced in a sustainable way.

That’s according to a report by Europe’s leading food innovation initiative EIT Food, which suggests almost 76% of Europeans feel a moral obligation to use environmentally-friendly products.

The survey of nearly 20,000 people across 18 European countries also shows that 60% also said they would buy sustainable goods over those that are not if they were given the choice.

The study, which was conducted by a consortium of European research partners, including the University of Reading, the European Food Information Council, the Aarhus University, KU Leuven and the University of Warsaw, suggests farmers are the most trusted group of the food sector.

The findings of the report highlight less than half of the consumers believe that retailers, manufacturers or government authorities act in the public interest.

Professor Klaus Grunert, Department of Management at Aarhus University, said: “As the global population moves towards ten billion by 2050, we need innovative technologies and collaborative approaches from farm to fork to deliver accessible and healthy food products in a sustainable way.”

Saskia Nuijten, Director of Communication and Public Engagement at EIT Food, said: “As we look to our economic recovery in the coming year, helping to build trust between consumers and the food sector will be critical to improving food for everyone.”

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