Research Findings Retailers & Brands Actions & Next Steps

Retailers and brands to communicate their sustainability commitments, across their supply chains. To include clear corporate and public facing communications, targets and updates in-store/restaurants.

Wider information needed on the impact retailers and brands are having to deliver their biodiversity / nature ambitions. This needs to move beyond issues such as reducing plastic and planting trees; whilst these commitments must continue, consumers are increasingly expecting more and are demanding greater evidence of environmental sustainability in food sourcing.

Retailers and brands to develop new ranges in store, to showcase their sustainability commitments and provide opportunities for consumers to ‘make a difference’ through their purchasing decisions.

Young people trust retailers and brands but they are increasingly scrutinising their commitments and want to learn more about their impact. Previous reports highlight young people want to have a global impact and are not focused entirely on local issues. They need to know that as conscious consumers, they are making the right decision for the greater good of the planet.

Develop industry leading extended research project (5 year +) to track the long-term changes that young people / consumers make after receiving the appropriate information about consumer choices and environmental awareness. This will allow measurement of long-term behavioural change.

Next Steps

Our role is to ensure that we have a future generation who are better informed than ever before; better informed as future (conscious) consumers, decision makers, leaders, employees and employers.

It has been incredibly rewarding to work with so many young people over the course of this research and to have the opportunity to listen to them, to provide them with a platform to share their perceptions, personal experiences and be completely open and honest in their responses. We thank everyone involved in this research. By working together, we can deliver powerful and imaginative ways to reach future generations. Highlighting the significance of our sector in bringing about more sustainable, global food and farming systems as well as the many career opportunities available to them.

This is an exciting time for all of us. We encourage you to pledge your support as we strive for a strong and resilient agri-food industry.

Appendices

Demographics

The breakdown of those we worked with and voices we sought to represent.

Across the whole of the UK, but most popular locations were:

24% London

12% West Midlands 10% South East England 10% North West England

61% White

16% Asian

13% Black

13% Mixed heritage

For reference breakdown of England & Wales’ ethnicity stats in 2020: 86% white, 7.5% Asian, 3.3% Black, 2.2% mixed, 1% other

2% Other

Please note where specific demographics have been highlighted it is due to there being a statistically significant difference to the average presented (i.e. a difference over 5%). Where different demographics have not been highlighted then it is to be assumed that there is no statistically significant difference in results.