Defra-nitely an interesting read...especially if you care about organic and British food!

We supported DEFRA with an extensive study on what consumers think about buying UK-produced and organic food to inform part of their policy going forwards. We found that UK-produced food is widely supported for economic reasons and to support UK farmers, yet trust issues persist regarding authenticity of "UK-produced" labels as labelling can be unclear and confusing and many products included imported components.

When it comes to organic products, there won't be many surprises at top level - consumers value them for health and environmental benefits but they report that cost and availability limit their purchases.

The study included a large scale quantitative study using a mix of consumers from panel partner Dynata as well as our own panel of conscious consumers. From the quantitative study we recruited a number to undertake receipt tracking of their food purchases over 4 weeks. We then invited groups of 8-10 to join an online focus group to discus the findings and their thoughts of the study.

Key findings include:

1. Motivations for Organic Food: Consumers were drawn to organic products for perceived health and environmental benefits. However, high costs and limited availability deterred regular purchases. Despite positive attitudes, there was a significant value-action gap — consumers claimed to purchase more organic food than they actually did.

   
   

2. Barriers to Organic: Affordability was a major obstacle. Skepticism about the quality difference between organic and non-organic products also emerged, with 63.3% unsure or disagreeing that organic quality was superior.

   
   

3. UK-Produced Food Preferences: Support for UK-produced food was strong, driven by national pride and economic support. However, concerns over unclear labelling and seasonal availability created barriers.

   
   

4. Value-Action Gap: Across both categories, consumers frequently over-reported purchases in key product areas such as lamb, potatoes, and pears, revealing a disconnect between intentions and actions.

   
   

5. Recommendations: Improving affordability, increasing educational awareness about organic benefits, and enhancing labelling clarity are crucial steps to better align consumer values with purchasing behaviour.

   
   

The study highlights the need for coordinated efforts by retailers, policymakers, and educators to promote sustainable purchasing practices.

We had several delays to the start, a change in government and a lengthly signoff and publishing process - it has been such a long one that we are still down as England Marketing - but we are thrilled that is had gone live and is still an interesting read - even for us after proofing it a million times!

Read the full report