Apparently food shoppers now care more about the environment and other ethical considerations than they do about price or quality, a conference on retailing has been told.
In the UK, sales of ethical goods – such as fair-trade, free range locally produced or organic – exceed €45 billion a year, according to the British Institute of Grocery Distribution.
According to chief executive Joanne Denney Finch, consumer tastes are changing at an unprecedented rate, posing new challenges and opportunities for the food industry.
Sustainability was now the number one theme in UK retailing, replacing previous concerns about price.
For example Marks & Spencer has announced a five year plan to become carbon neutral, and Tesco is planning to carbon label all its products.
Times are a changin'; will the mushroom industry be able to change with them – in a sustainable fashion?
