Italian consumers are increasingly conscious about the environmental impact of their food choices and are willing to change their buying habits in favour of environmentally friendly products.
This has emerged from a survey carried out in coordination with BEUC (Bureau Européen des Unions de Consommateurs, an organisation that represents consumer interests) in eleven EU countries and run in Italy by Altroconsumo. When choosing which foods to eat, 76% of consumers say they pay attention to their environmental impact, while 68% say they are willing to change their habits in favour of more sustainable choices. In particular, over half of Italians (55%) would buy more vegetables and plant-based products, while two thirds of consumers would be willing to buy only seasonal fruit and vegetables. On the one hand, this last decision ensures that the food is more delicious, and on the other hand it reduces the environmental impact of transportation, given that out-of-season foods often come from faraway countries.
Their intentions are all well and good, but the road from good intentions to putting them into effect is still long. For example, if we take the consumption of red meat – the production of which has a huge impact on the planet – research shows that 7% of consumers have stopped eating it, 45% have reduced their consumption and 21% do not intend to do so. According to the respondents of the survey, the generally higher cost (44%), not enough clear indications on the production methods (41%) and the lack of information on the subject (39%) are the main obstacles to buying sustainable products.
