Three in 10 Brits favour organic food

Three in 10 Brits prefer to give their families organic and “natural” food and consider themselves to be healthy eaters, according to a YouGov survey.

Interestingly, the organic trend also correlated with veganism and vegetarian habits; that is, only 53 percent of Brits who eat organically identify as a meat/poultry eater.

While four percent of the general public identify as vegetarian, more than twice as many organic food fans say they have stopped eating fish. It’s a similar story with vegans, albeit in lower proportions (two percent of the public; four percent of organic food eaters).

Brits who prefer organic food are also six percentage points more likely to be ‘flexitarian’ (15 percent general public; 21 percent organic food eaters).

But does organic food have any connection to other purchasing behaviours?

Among those who prefer organic and natural food choices, four in 10 are the sole grocery shoppers in their household. These consumers are more likely to regard themselves as healthy eaters (73 percent vs 57 percent of the general public) and pay attention to where their products have been made/grown (72 percent compared to 50 percent of the public). The survey also found that they favour local produce (72 percent vs 58 percent of the public).

Moreover, they are far more likely to purchase fair trade products, 63 percent vs 38 percent of the public, and the majority demonstrate a strong aversion to genetically modified food (56 percent do not buy).

The report also showed that ethics and values were significant in buying decisions, with 44 percent organic/natural favouring consumers only purchasing products from companies who share similar morals. This is compared to just 24 percent of the rest of the British public.

Despite the veggie movement gaining more traction, the report did show that Britain largely remains a carnivorous country, with 70 percent of the public still identifying themselves as a meat-eater.