UK ethical food sales worth £8.2bn

The sales of organic, Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance and Marine Stewardship Council certified products rose 43% from £5.7bn in 2013, with a further 4% growth projected this year to £8.6bn. Ethical food sales would rise 17% to £9.6bn between 2019 and 2023, Mintel claimed.

A majority of adults (83%) said they had bought food or drink with some sort of ethical accreditation, with people aged oved 55 the most likely to do so (87% of adults).

However, while ethical food consumption was on the rise, cost was a significant barrier to uptake. Up to 70% of UK adults said eating sustainably/ethically was harder when money was tight, while a further 60% said it was difficult to know the difference between various accreditation schemes.

Ethical on a budget​

Mintel research analyst Alice Baker urged companies to demonstrate to consumers how they could shop ethically without breaking the bank and how ethical products could – in some cases – even be the ‘financially-savvy’ option.

“Drawing attention more strongly to where standard own-label products have ethical certifications would allow retailers to demonstrate to shoppers that they can buy ethically and potentially save money too,”​ said Baker.

“Products using surplus produce, for example the ‘wonky veg’ boxes offered by various supermarkets, can also be presented as both a financially-savvy option and an ethical one to tackle food waste.”​

Free-range​

Of the ethical foods bought by UK consumers, free-range ranked as the most widely bought food (66%). Animal welfare (45%) was the number one reason for buying any food or drink with an ethical certification.

“Free-range is a long-established label that spans various products, including eggs, poultry and – latterly – dairy products, including milk and yogurt. The intuitively tangible animal welfare image of free-range undoubtedly underpins its popularity.”​ Baker added.

This was followed by Fairtrade (53%), foods with Red Tractor certification (49%), and organic (30%). Products carrying a Rainforest Alliance certification were favoured by a third of 16- to 34-year-olds (32%) compared to an average of 25% among all Brits.

Meanwhile, sales of organic food in the UK grew 5.3% in 2018 to £2.33bn,​​ boosted by consumer interest in free-from options and healthy eating, according to a report by certification body the Soil Association.