Not many consumers, especially young consumers, trust where their food comes from, according to a University of Minnesota poll.
The survey of 1,022 consumers showed that only 24% of adults have a “high degree of trust” in the information their receive about where the food they buy comes from and how it is produced. Among Generation Z respondents, only 17% said they do.
Young consumers may not trust the information they get about their food, but they want more of it. Gen Z and millennial consumers are twice as likely to want to know where their food comes from, and two and a half times more likely to be willing to pay more for sustainably sourced food.
“The awareness of the sustainability and environmental impact of our foods is increasing, particularly amongst our students,” said Job Ubbink, head of the university’s department of food science and nutrition. “People are increasingly signaling that they want to eat things that are not only good for them as an individual, but that contribute to a sustainable food system and equitable society. Costs, however, are often a hurdle, especially these days with mounting inflation."
