Almost eight in ten (79%) of Irish consumers would prefer if the carbon footprint of food items was included on the label, according to a new survey.
The survey, conducted by market research company IPSOS on behalf of Yara International, provides an overview of consumer purchasing habits and sustainable food preferences.
A total of 12,000 people took part in 12 countries, including Ireland, with around 1,000 respondents in each market. The online interviews took place between December 1-14, 2022.
Just over half (53%) of Irish people said that climate impact is important when buying food.
41% would choose a low-carbon food item compared to 22% who favoured a fossil-free item. 37% of respondents said they would pick the cheapest product, even if it is the least climate-friendly one.
42% of Irish shoppers said that they would be willing to pay a premium for fossil-free food items.
Consumers
Three quarters of survey respondents in Ireland believed to a large or some extent that food producers should work to reduce their emissions from food production.
57% said that they would support food producers who cut emissions by up to 20%, but this would depend on the quality of that food product.
Almost 80% of Irish consumers felt that farmers who are growing food responsibly should be incentivised to reduce carbon emissions.
69% believed current legislation around greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions should be stricter.
Overall, the survey found that three out of five European consumers consider the impact on the climate when buying food.
“The report shows that Europeans are highly motivated to buy sustainable food to reduce their climate impact. This should be a wake-up call to the entire food industry,” Birgitte Holter, vice-president of green fertilisers at Yara, said.
“While three out of five Europeans find the climate impact important when buying food, a majority feel it is not easy enough to understand available information about the climate emission to be able to make sustainable choices.”
The world’s food production currently accounts for more than a quarter of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
“Decarbonisation of food is possible and that is why we are developing green fertilisers made from water and air using renewable energy, to support farmers and food companies in reducing their climate impact of their food.
“These voluntary choices must be supported by adequate policies.
“The EU’s Sustainable Food System initiative, planned for the end of 2023, should therefore create a set of incentives for food systems’ actors to go beyond the minimum requirements and favor low-carbon footprint solutions such as green fertilisers,” Holter said.