The Risk Of Sustainability Inaction

If you don’t succeed at first with sustainability, try again—or risking losing key demographics to brands that are doing more than you. That’s a key takeaway of the “2023 US Brand Sustainability Benchmark Report for the Food & Grocery industry,” from research tech company Glow in conjunction with NielsenIQ.
Based on multiple data sets, including more than 33,000 U.S. consumers, researchers found that:

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen statistics like this, and it won’t be the last. Consumers say they’re voting with their wallets and expecting brands to step up or step aside. As more buying power shifts into the hands of younger consumers, this trend appears poised to become even more pronounced.
What can those of us focused on regenerative and climate-smart agriculture do? For one thing: Help connect the dots between what the public seeks and what farmers, ranchers and other value-chain leaders do each day for the betterment of the entire system.
Whatever your role in the value chain, insights such as those from Glow illustrate the importance of developing a strategy within your organization to meet the moment.
The public’s interest in sustainability and their high expectations of brands aren’t wavering. If anything, they appear on track to keep growing.
Here at Trust In Food™, we’ve developed programs such as Trust In Beef™ in partnership with leaders across the beef value chain. This effort and others like it support the beef producers who are continually improving their stewardship practices—and celebrating decades-long existing investments.
Producers can’t do this alone. It requires producer associations, food companies, agribusinesses, nonprofits, government agencies and so many others.
The American public wants—and values—sustainability in action.
What are you doing to meet their needs?
Yours in regenerative agriculture,
Amy Skoczlas Cole
President, Trust In Food