GlobeScan has partnered with EAT, a science-based global platform for food systems transformation, to conduct the Grains of Truth consumer survey series since 2021. Conducted in 31 markets worldwide, the annual survey delves into consumers' concerns about the current food system, their attitudes and behaviors towards healthy and sustainable food consumption, and their perspectives on who should lead the transformation of the food system.
The latest survey reveals that consumers around the world consider malnutrition, pesticides, obesity, diet-related health issues and plastic waste from food packaging to be the aspects of the food system – how food is produced, processed, transported, stored, sold to consumers and discarded – to be of most concern. However, concerns are high about wider issues such as food waste, unequal access to nutritious food and animal welfare. Around three-quarters of people worldwide express at least some concern about the top issues. Older people tend to be more concerned about these issues than younger people.
What does this mean?
These results strongly underscore the importance of the health and sustainable food nexus. The top four food system issues that consumers worry about most are either directly related to human health (malnutrition and obesity) or at the intersection of human health and the environment (pesticides used in agriculture and plastic waste from food packaging). To engage with consumers on sustainable food and diets, governments and businesses need to take public health concerns into account through policy design and product innovation.
Survey Question: There are many aspects to how food is produced on farms, processed, shipped, stored, sold to consumers, and then disposed of. Please rate how concerned you are about different parts of this food system: very concerned, somewhat concerned, neutral, not very concerned, or not at all concerned.
Source: GlobeScan and EAT Grains of Truth Report (conducted among 29,565 members of the public in 31 countries and regions from July to August 2023)
