1. UNIT A2 1 Option A: Food Security and Sustainability: Changing consumer behaviour

2. LEARNING OUTCOMES: CHANGING CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR
Advise consumers on how to make food choices that have a positive impact on food security and sustainability;
Discuss the barriers that prevent consumers from making food choices that have a positive impact on food security and sustainability; and
Consider the environmental and social cost of shopping for food in supermarkets.

3. CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR
“The study of the ways of buying and disposing of goods, services, ideas or experiences by individuals, groups and organizations in order to satisfy their needs and wants.” (Kotler and Keller, 2011)

4. FOOD CHOICES
Food choice is about how people decide on what to buy and eat.
It is complex and depends on culture, heritage and up-bringing.
Price may be important if we need to stick to a budget, or look for allergen information if we have a food allergy.
Influenced by personal preferences: taste, sensory attributes, mood, appetite, habits, availability, convenience (being in a rush), restraint, and habits/familiarity.
We may look for sustainability labels (fair trade, organic labels or health-related information eg health claims).
(EUFIC, 2017)

5. FOOD SECURITY – A REMINDER
The term ‘food security’ identifies whether countries have adequate food supply to feed their populations. Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life (FAO, 2015)

6. Environmental Protection
FOOD SUSTAINABILITY – A REMINDER
Economic Growth
Social Equality
Environmental Protection
Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” [Brundtland Report, 1987]

7. CHANGING CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR
Greater demand for one stop shopping
Willingness to travel to shops
Increased consumer demand for choice and quality of goods
Better value for money
Rise of the multiple food retailers
Arrival of the ‘deep discounter’ (e.g. Aldi, Lidl), selling a limited number of lines at prices that undercut the major supermarkets
Edge-of-town/out-of town food retailers – bring advantages and disadvantages
Introduction of new, smaller formats of the multiples in a diverse range of settings – return to the High Street
Decline in numbers of small general and specialist stores = lack of food retail provision in some urban areas

8. BARRIERS TO MAKING SUSTAINABLE FOOD CHOICES
Availability / Adequacy: Consumers are used to choice. Are sufficient choices of sustainable foods available?
Affordability: Common perception that Fairtrade, organic products and similar are more expensive, pricing them out of some consumers’ reach.
Accessibility: Inconvenience: Is everyone able to travel to food shops?
Attitude/Awareness: Lack of information: Do consumers know about sustainability? And what this complex issue means? Are sustainable choices sufficiently promoted and visible? Do consumers care? Do they care enough to make the sustainable choice?
Aptitude: Do consumers make the sustainable choice the habitual choice (ie) make the sustainable choice first time and every time?

9. SOCIAL COSTS OF SUPERMARKET SHOPPING
Reducing consumer choice – Smaller choice of outlets offering similar product ranges with loss of different product ranges from smaller, independent food retailers
Effect on smaller retailers – Competition may reduce customer numbers and profit leading to loss of smaller, specialist and independent retailers
Loss of specialist retailer knowledge – Loss of fishmongers and reduction of greengrocers and butchers removes the opportunity to ask their advice on cooking techniques and flavours etc
Effect on suppliers – Effect on pricing practices and relationships between suppliers and retailers

10. ENVIRONMENTAL COSTS OF SUPERMARKET SHOPPING
Land space for some superstores has reduced the land available for food production and house building
Importing food to increase consumer choices – impact on food miles and greenhouse gases
Traffic congestion / air pollution due to requirement to travel to food retailers
Pesticide use to increase food production to meet large supermarket orders
Increased food packaging
Increased food waste as a result of retail promotions

11. FOOD ACCESS AND FOOD DESERTS

12. SUPERMARKETS AND FOOD DESERTS

13. WHAT ARE FOOD DESERTS?
“where people do not have easy access to healthy, fresh foods particularly if they are poor and have limited mobility"
(Tessa Jowell, 1997, Health Minister UK)
“…urban areas where it is difficult to buy a range of food necessary to eat healthily at a reasonable price”
(White, 2007)
“…populated urban areas where residents do not have access to an affordable and healthy diet”
(Cummins and MacIntyre, 2002)

14. IS ONLINE SHOPPING THE SOLUTION?
Think about:
Loss of sensory experience – the opportunity pick your own selections from the shelves or feel product quality in respect of ripeness, firmness etc.
Marketing/promotion: Temptation to buy more than you need when in-store may be reduced by shopping online.
Comparison to other products: Difficulty in comparing choice, cost, nutrition content, place of origin etc between products’ labels when shopping online.

15. FOODS THAT HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON FOOD SECURITY & FOOD SUSTAINABILITY
Why / how sustainable?
Simply eat more vegetables!
Reduces our reliance on meat and dairy in our diet. Including meat / dairy in our diets relies on a lot of water and grain inputs to produce smaller amounts of food
Locally grown foods / grow your own food
Being a ‘Locovore’ cuts down on fossil fuels and packaging used in transport
Organically grown food
Reduces the amount of pesticides and herbicides used on the plants and soil, which are damaging to the environment and to human health
Marine Stewardship Council fish
Sets a standard for sustainable fishing to avoid over fishing
RSPCA Assured eggs, fish and meat
Where you see this label you can be assured that food production meets RSPCA animal welfare standards
Slow Food Movement
Promotes local and sustainable foods and promotion of local small businesses and traditional cooking 

16. OTHER TIPS Aim to be waste-free
Eat what is in your store cupboard and fridge to reduce food waste
Compost spoiled food from your kitchen to reduce the amount of food going to landfill
Buy local, seasonal and environmentally friendly food
Buy from a range of local shops
Choose Fairtrade
Eat healthily

17. SUMMARY
Food security is a growing problem because of our food choices.
Sustainability is a complex issue and there are barriers to consumers making informed sustainable choices.
Retailers and consumers can take actions to be more sustainable.
Sustainable food choices make sense for environmental, economic (affordability) and social (health, quality of life) reasons.
Fortunately, a sustainable diet is also a healthy diet!

18. USEFUL READING
European Food Information Council. (2017) Food choice. Available from:
Food and Agriculture Organization. (2015) The state of food insecurity in the world. Meeting the 2015 international hunger targets: taking stock of uneven progress. Geneva: Food and Agriculture Organization.
Kotler, P. and Keller, K. (2011) Marketing management - 14th edition. London: Pearson Education.
LiveWell for Life (2017) Healthy people, healthy planet. Available from:
United Nations. (1987) Our common future. Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development. New York: United Nations.

19. ANY QUESTIONS? ms.furey@ulster.ac.uk
THANK YOU
ANY QUESTIONS?