When defining sustainability, consumers most want to hear how the product (or process) minimizes negative effects and provides benefits to people, communities, and the planet—and they want specifics.

The terms that consumers most associate with sustainability are “best option for the environment” and “eco-friendly,” followed by terms like “natural ingredients,” “carbon neutral certified,” and “organic.” Conversely, many consumers did not consider attributes like taste, value, quality, and price, or company characteristics (ownership, company size) as signals for sustainability.

The significant gap between consumers’ stated purchase intent and actual purchase behavior continues. Many consumers are buying sustainable food, but only for some food categories, and only slightly more than in previous years. Those who are buying more sustainable food items are mainly doing so for health reasons; those who aren’t are often, as stated already, restricted by price. Because of this, brands should consider leading with a product’s impact on personal health, the environment, and their wallets (i.e., value).

Price continues to be a primary hurdle that brands will have to overcome when marketing sustainable food products to consumers. Lower-priced items more often win out when consumers are in the store, even when a trusted brand is in the equation.

Trust is not an ethereal concept. Rather, it’s a currency of exchange in the sustainability economy. Consumers are likely to spend more when they can trust the brand and what it stands for, and if the brand has illustrated a commitment to real change.

The most important actions brands can use to engender trust include:

• Investing in producing products that are sustainable
• Committing to sustainability efforts over a long period of time
• Building a commitment to sustainability into their company’s values
  
  
  

These actions were much more important than donating or partnering with experts, other organizations, or influencers in the space. 

Additionally, consumers tended to be wary of national/large brands, rating smaller, niche brands/companies as being more trusted. However, several of the “small brands” cited in the qualitative phase of the survey as being “trusted” were actually sub-brands of multi-nationals, signaling that perhaps nurturing an independent image for sub-brands could be a beneficial strategy for multi-nationals.

To attract consumers, brands should encourage them to take actions that will lead to desired benefits of sustainability without blaming or scolding. Messaging should be focused on the positive outcomes of buying sustainable, particularly how it impacts the individual through money savings and health/wellbeing for self and family. Conversely, respondents overall didn’t like being told pedantically how to be sustainable. Many indicated they are open to widely practiced environmentally friendly behaviors (think reusing containers and donating used goods), but specific or niche actions and products (gardening/composting, bamboo toothbrushes, menstrual cups) did not perform well. When crafting messaging, brands should consider highlighting the benefits and sharing accessible ways to be more sustainable without reprimanding consumers.