Latest figures highlight Brits support for local produce
The latest figures from YouGov show that 70% of Brits think it is important that they eat locally sourced produce.
Tomatoes growing at Cornerways Nursery
The latest figures from YouGov show that 70% of Brits think it is important that they eat locally sourced produce. When asked what produce they would be most likely to buy if a locally sourced alternative was available 66% of shoppers said eggs (compared to only 30% in 2015). Whilst 58% said milk (22% in 2015) and 58% said meat (40% in 2015).
The East of England Co-op, which commissioned the report, works with more than 100 farmers and producers who supply its stores with over 2,000 locally sourced products. It is running Sourced Locally Fortnight (30 May – 12 June 2016) to encourage more consumers to buy local produce and dispel the myth that local produce can only be bought in farm shops.
- 82% of respondents would expect to buy local produce from a farm shop, compared to only 24% expecting to find it in their local convenience store, and 48% in a supermarket.
- 42% of respondents would be put off buying local produce if they felt that farm shops would be closed once they had finished work and there was no other locally sourced produce available close by.
Havensfield Eggs, Suffolk
The positive reaction to home-grown is further embraced across the nation with 71% of those surveyed saying it is important that the food they buy is produced in the UK, rising to 75% amongst females. And with more than one in three Britons buying local produce in the past two weeks, there are already some dedicated purchasers.
Roger Grosvenor, Joint Chief Executive at the East of England Co-op, comments: “We want to shine a spotlight on local farmers and producers to encourage more shoppers to consciously buy local produce. By shopping locally, people are helping to bring additional money into their local economy and safeguarding local jobs, whilst reducing food miles.”
Emanuele Giovannetti, Professor of Economics at Anglia Ruskin University, adds: “It’s encouraging to see people’s awareness of food miles in the UK is growing, with 44% saying that lower mileage would encourage them to buy locally sourced produce, up from just 36% in 2015. With more than one in three Britons buying local produce in the past two weeks, it’s clear there’s a growing demand for local produce. This is a call to action for retailers to listen to local communities and give people what they want.”
Key findings include:
- 51% of shoppers think it is important they buy locally sourced produce.
- 57% of shoppers have bought locally sourced produce at some point over the last year.
- Increased quality (56%), positive impact on regional economy (48%) and creation of local jobs (48%) top the list of things that would encourage shoppers to buy local produce.
The food and drink industry is the largest manufacturing sector in the UK. 71% of land in the UK is used for farming and, as a nation, we are 76% self-sufficient in producing home grown food.
However, whilst we export approximately £18 billion worth of the food and drink we produce and manufacture in the UK, we import more than double this figure.
