Meet changing consumer preferences

In our 2021-2022 Farmers’ and Crofters’ Survey, 80% of respondents said they would consider changing their farming practice in order to meet changing consumer preferences in the direction of plant-based diets. Possibly partly in response to the UK Government Climate Change Committee’s pronouncement that meat consumption must be cut by 20-50% in order to reach net zero by 2050, the number of Brits following meat-free diets has skyrocketed with 14% of adults in the UK now meat-free and the number of vegans rising by 40% in 2020. 

Taking dietary change to the next level, we also explored the viability of the veganic food market – in other words, the demand for food grown without any animal inputs or agrochemicals – and similarly found a potential for growth. Our consumer survey published in 2023 found that despite the ongoing cost of living crisis, about 45% of the participants (primarily vegans) said they would be willing to pay more for food and drink produced by veganic certified farmers, and another 46% said they might pay more.