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Eco-Nutrition - Jennifer John, Ceres
INSIGHT ARTICLE
Merging planetary and population health
Jennifer John is managing director of Ceres.
Although there is no escaping the current economic situation, food issues still remain high on the agenda for media, consumers and policy makers. For marketers the latest emerging food trend to be aware of is eco-nutrition. Broadly speaking eco-nutrition is the interrelationship between nutrition and human health, agriculture and food production, environmental health and economic development.
Although eco-nutrition is very much in its infancy, all the signs are that it is here to stay, and that it will have a significant impact on our food, and how it is produced, marketed and sold for decades to come.
For example, the Government's recent announcement that a radical re-think of food production is needed, could signal an end to the era of cheap and plentiful food. Just one example of how this might impact on marketing tactics, is that retailer buy one get one free (BOGOF) promotions could be deemed no longer ethical.
The carbon footprint of our food is now a mainstream priority, for producers and consumers alike, and it is a regular topic for media debate which needs to be reflected in the marketing strategies for many foods and food businesses. Not only have consumers become more knowledgeable about food and nutrition in the last ten years, but at the same time they are increasingly sensitive to ‘food miles' and their ‘carbon footprint.' Consumers are regularly opting for local and seasonal produce, where possible, across a wide range of foods, which is reflected in the growth of this sector. Locally sourced food and drink now represents a buoyant, steadily growing food category, valued at £4.8 billion in 2008.
As our understanding of the impact our food choices have on the environment and climate grow, more consumers will invariably shift to locally sourced produce. The number of shoppers buying locally produced food has almost doubled in the last three years to 27% in 2009, compared to 15% in 2006 and this, based on the evidence above, is a trend that is set to continue.
Provenance has become an umbrella term for British, quality and heritage in consumer minds and includes sub sectors like organic, local, free-range and environmentally friendly. Provenance attributes are being used to build superior credentials, add value and support sales, but still need to be demonstrably credible to the consumer.
For those who are interested in joining the debate on the future of our food supply, an online forum - Food 2030, has been launched by the Government. Farmers, manufacturers, retailers, health care providers and consumers are all being actively encouraged to have their say, before 19th October this year.
While sustainability is now universally recognised as key to the future of our food supply, we cannot afford to ignore its nutritional content either, as poor diet remains a significant factor in so many diseases from diabetes to cancer. Obesity has more than doubled in the UK over the last 25 years with 25% of English children classified as overweight & 10% of those as obese, and the Foresight Report predicts that by 2050, 90% of today's children will be overweight and/or obese. Responsible PR and marketing must take
these disturbing trends into account and ensure that messaging is clear and relevant for the target audiences. PR's can help to play their part in helping to educate consumers about the importance of a balanced diet and how to achieve it.
Although these are worrying facts, they do also offer opportunities for many food groups, from fresh produce to functional foods. Current dietary guidelines are still not being met in the UK, fruit and vegetables and fibre intakes are below Government dietary recommendations, while saturated fat, salt and sugar remain above recommendations. Decline in the consumption of meat and dairy products, has already led to lower intakes of iron, calcium and other nutrients in subgroups of the population.
The decline in the organic sector began even before the ‘credit crunch'. Growth in the sales of organic food in the UK slowed to 1.7 percent in 2008 while organic superstore Whole Foods, saw profits slump in the first half of this year. But with a new report from the Food Standards Agency showing that organic foods are no different in nutrient content than conventional foods, this sector will need to work even harder to convince consumers that organic is ‘better' and may need to adopt a more holistic approach to highlight the quality, ethics and greenness of food products.
Going forward, food marketers and PR specialists will need to engage with the principles of eco-nutrition, integrating environment, sustainability, and health in nutrition communication campaigns. It is not only food that is coming under scrutiny for its planetary impact; all consumer goods from clothes to cars are increasingly being appraised on their ‘eco' credentials.
September 2009
with thanks to Therese Coleman, consultant nutritionist to Ceres
Sources:
1 Deckelbaun R Econnutriton - Implementation Models from the Millennium Villages Project in Africa.
Food Nutr Bull. 2006 Dec;27(4):335-42. Review
www.cumc.columbia.edu/dept/ihn/symposia/documents/5DXEconutritionfinal5-09-06.pdf -
2 Mintel (2008) Locally Sourced Foods. www.mintel.co.uk
3 IGD Consumer Unit 2009
4 Foresight Tackling Obesities: Future Choices Project
5 SACN 2008 Nutritional Wellbeing of the UK population. London TSO
6 Foster & Lunn 2007. 40th Anniversary Briefing Paper: Food availability and our changing diet. British
Nutrition Foundation.
7 Grocer 14/03/09 ‘Organic sales slump is worse than predicted'
Jennifer John is managing director of Ceres.
Although there is no escaping the current economic situation, food issues still remain high on the agenda for media, consumers and policy makers. For marketers the latest emerging food trend to be aware of is eco-nutrition. Broadly speaking eco-nutrition is the interrelationship between nutrition and human health, agriculture and food production, environmental health and economic development.
Although eco-nutrition is very much in its infancy, all the signs are that it is here to stay, and that it will have a significant impact on our food, and how it is produced, marketed and sold for decades to come.
For example, the Government's recent announcement that a radical re-think of food production is needed, could signal an end to the era of cheap and plentiful food. Just one example of how this might impact on marketing tactics, is that retailer buy one get one free (BOGOF) promotions could be deemed no longer ethical.
The carbon footprint of our food is now a mainstream priority, for producers and consumers alike, and it is a regular topic for media debate which needs to be reflected in the marketing strategies for many foods and food businesses. Not only have consumers become more knowledgeable about food and nutrition in the last ten years, but at the same time they are increasingly sensitive to ‘food miles' and their ‘carbon footprint.' Consumers are regularly opting for local and seasonal produce, where possible, across a wide range of foods, which is reflected in the growth of this sector. Locally sourced food and drink now represents a buoyant, steadily growing food category, valued at £4.8 billion in 2008.
As our understanding of the impact our food choices have on the environment and climate grow, more consumers will invariably shift to locally sourced produce. The number of shoppers buying locally produced food has almost doubled in the last three years to 27% in 2009, compared to 15% in 2006 and this, based on the evidence above, is a trend that is set to continue.
Provenance has become an umbrella term for British, quality and heritage in consumer minds and includes sub sectors like organic, local, free-range and environmentally friendly. Provenance attributes are being used to build superior credentials, add value and support sales, but still need to be demonstrably credible to the consumer.
For those who are interested in joining the debate on the future of our food supply, an online forum - Food 2030, has been launched by the Government. Farmers, manufacturers, retailers, health care providers and consumers are all being actively encouraged to have their say, before 19th October this year.
While sustainability is now universally recognised as key to the future of our food supply, we cannot afford to ignore its nutritional content either, as poor diet remains a significant factor in so many diseases from diabetes to cancer. Obesity has more than doubled in the UK over the last 25 years with 25% of English children classified as overweight & 10% of those as obese, and the Foresight Report predicts that by 2050, 90% of today's children will be overweight and/or obese. Responsible PR and marketing must take
these disturbing trends into account and ensure that messaging is clear and relevant for the target audiences. PR's can help to play their part in helping to educate consumers about the importance of a balanced diet and how to achieve it.
Although these are worrying facts, they do also offer opportunities for many food groups, from fresh produce to functional foods. Current dietary guidelines are still not being met in the UK, fruit and vegetables and fibre intakes are below Government dietary recommendations, while saturated fat, salt and sugar remain above recommendations. Decline in the consumption of meat and dairy products, has already led to lower intakes of iron, calcium and other nutrients in subgroups of the population.
The decline in the organic sector began even before the ‘credit crunch'. Growth in the sales of organic food in the UK slowed to 1.7 percent in 2008 while organic superstore Whole Foods, saw profits slump in the first half of this year. But with a new report from the Food Standards Agency showing that organic foods are no different in nutrient content than conventional foods, this sector will need to work even harder to convince consumers that organic is ‘better' and may need to adopt a more holistic approach to highlight the quality, ethics and greenness of food products.
Going forward, food marketers and PR specialists will need to engage with the principles of eco-nutrition, integrating environment, sustainability, and health in nutrition communication campaigns. It is not only food that is coming under scrutiny for its planetary impact; all consumer goods from clothes to cars are increasingly being appraised on their ‘eco' credentials.
September 2009
with thanks to Therese Coleman, consultant nutritionist to Ceres
Sources:
1 Deckelbaun R Econnutriton - Implementation Models from the Millennium Villages Project in Africa.
Food Nutr Bull. 2006 Dec;27(4):335-42. Review
www.cumc.columbia.edu/dept/ihn/symposia/documents/5DXEconutritionfinal5-09-06.pdf -
2 Mintel (2008) Locally Sourced Foods. www.mintel.co.uk
3 IGD Consumer Unit 2009
4 Foresight Tackling Obesities: Future Choices Project
5 SACN 2008 Nutritional Wellbeing of the UK population. London TSO
6 Foster & Lunn 2007. 40th Anniversary Briefing Paper: Food availability and our changing diet. British
Nutrition Foundation.
7 Grocer 14/03/09 ‘Organic sales slump is worse than predicted'
