Spring is a beautiful time in agriculture. With all the seedlings sprouting and luscious spring crops coming into their own, it’s quite a celebration of new growth, and a peek into all the bounty the earth is about provide us throughout the upcoming growing season. In our mind, there’s no better time than Earth Day to pay respect to the ground that brings forward so much for us throughout the year! While working on the 2019 edition of Food Trends, we noticed that earth-friendly initiatives are becoming more and more prevalent in stated company practices—and for good reason! Here’s a recap of the earth-friendly practices that are top of mind with consumer and some ideas on how to elevate them to eager audience ears (and wallets).
Sustainability
With science increasingly pointing towards an abused planet, shoppers are looking for ways to be more environmentally responsible, and they want to support brands that are equally invested in protecting the earth. This includes initiatives like water conservation, green energy, reduced chemical usage, and upcycling products. In fact, 81% of Americans would like more food options that protect the environment, according to a survey by Sustainable Brands.
What this means for you:
Fresh produce brands have a huge opportunity to capitalize on elevating their environmental stewardship and earth-friendly practices to engaged audiences — this means social media content, blog posts, and public relations media pitches should all contain sustainability key messaging to elevate the good work your company does to protect the land. As the saying goes, you reap what you sow, and no one knows that better than a farmer, which is why it’s important to remind consumers that your company deeply cares about protecting the land it depends on.
ECO Packaging
Many of today’s shoppers are far beyond passively engaging in waste reduction practices of a decade ago, like recycling. While recycling is still relevant, consumers are asking more of brands and want to support ones that go beyond—think compostable, bio-degradable, zero-waste, or low carbon footprint initiatives. Brands who don’t start following suit are likely to be left behind for more sustainable waste-reducing alternatives.
What this means for you:
As we know, many fruits and vegetables have their own natural “packaging,” so consumers are going to increasingly question the addition of packing materials in years to come. If your brand offers “fresh-prepared” foods or packages fresh produce products, this is the time to invest in eco-friendly alternatives.
Traceability
With the “fake news” world we’ve found ourselves in, people have their eye on authentic, transparent and trustworthy products. As shoppers increasingly seek the who, what, where, why, and how of the products they buy, especially food, food chain traceability programs are becoming more prevalent—and expected. The traceability trend has no end in sight, as the market size is expected to exceed $14 billion by 2022.
What this means for you:
With Earth Day approaching, elevating words like “verified,” “accountable,” and “transparent” could catch your audiences’ ears. In today’s world, brands know that transparency gets you into the circle of shoppers’ trust, and sharing behind-the-scenes information can be important for building brand loyalty.
Celebrating Earth Day is all about reducing waste and bringing awareness to environmental protection. People who aren’t typically as tuned in to environmental efforts will have a heightened awareness of these trends on Earth Day, so elevating your sustainable, eco-friendly, and transparent efforts will garner the attention of potential shoppers. After all, we know that we can all be better about leaving the earth better than we found it, and there’s no better day than this holiday to highlighting your brand’s efforts to do your part.
If you want to dive into more important trends to elevate in the coming year then be sure to check out our Food Trends 2019 guide!
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