A new study by EIT Food Consumer Observatory has found that most consumers believe that foods produced through regenerative agriculture are healthier than those they usually purchase.
The Cultivating Resilience: Regenerative Agriculture study also found that concerns around price, as well as a lack of understanding about what regenerative agriculture is, are potential hurdles to overcome.
The pan-European study, conducted through a Citizen Participation Forum across 17 countries, explored consumer awareness, perceptions, and concerns about regenerative agriculture.
As well as considering products coming from regenerative agriculture to be healthier, respondents also noted a strong appetite to better understand regenerative agriculture.
Seeking Assurances
European consumers are specifically seeking assurance that their food is free from chemicals, indicating a demand for transparency in food production, the report found.
In addition, consumers show less concern about whether ultra-processed foods are produced through regenerative agriculture, as they feel like it would be ‘too difficult to tell whether these foods have been produced regeneratively’. In addition, many consumers stated that they are trying to cut down on said foods.
One interesting takeaway from the study is that many consumers mistakenly believe that regenerative agriculture is only relevant for small-scale or local farms.
This misconception leads to scepticism about the potential of regenerative agriculture to address food security on a larger scale.
Consumers are concerned that transitioning to regenerative agriculture will lead to higher food prices, which in turn could hinder their eagerness to try products produced using this form of agriculture.
‘Benefits In Switching’
‘Regenerative agriculture is associated with a lower or potentially net positive environmental and social impact,’ EIT Food Consumer Observatory said. ‘But it takes effort, time and financial investment for farmers to switch to regenerative practices.
‘If there was a clear consumer preference for products produced through regenerative practices, the benefits in switching would be clearer for farmers and the risks smaller.’
You can find the full report here.