UK Veganic Consumer Survey Report

Aims

This survey had two primary aims. The first was to help a veganic farmer in transition better understand the local and wider UK market demand for several veganic food products which he was considering producing. In doing so, this would help him decide which crops to grow and what processing equipment to purchase. The second aim was to get a sense of the demand for veganic food products from UK consumers which would be useful to existing and prospective veganic or stockfree organic (SO) farmers who could use the data in the same way as the above farmer.

Methods
The survey was made using Google Forms and consisted of 14 questions, 2 of which were optional questions. The questions were structured as follows:

• Q1-3. Awareness of veganic/SO farming and practices in conventional and organic farming.
• Q4-6. The potential demand for veganic products.
• Q7-9. Factors which might influence this demand.
• Q10-14. Demographic questions and any additional comments.
• For a copy of the survey questions as they were presented to the participants please see appendix I.

Our sampling strategy consisted of sharing the survey link on our website, social media and newsletter as well as posting the survey in relevant UK focused vegan facebook groups (for example, Vegan Food UK, Vegan Organic Network). Some organisations like the Vegan Organic Network also shared the survey on their respective platforms. We also used Prolific, an application which helps find participants for surveys, and the majority of respondents were easily found through this. The survey was disseminated for 3 months, starting in September 2022 and closing in November 2022. In this time, a total of 511 people living in the UK completed the survey with the majority of participants identifying as vegan (64.8%) or vegetarian (28%). See the tables below for more on the demographics of the participants.

Results

*For exact question wording see Appendix I.

*For exact question wording see Appendix I.

*For exact question wording see Appendix I.

Despite the fact that many participants are aware that the production of conventionally grown food is harmful because of the agrochemicals used, and that the use of animal inputs in organic agriculture is exploitative of animals, there was clearly less awareness of the existence of veganic/SO farming (only 27.8% of participants had heard of veganic farming) which addresses both of these concerns. Even amongst the vegan participants, only 38.1% of them were aware of veganic/SO farming.

*For exact question wording see Appendix I.

The fact that 45.6% and 46.8% of respondents answered ‘yes’ and ‘maybe’ respectively is a positive sign for the market demand of veganic products, especially considering the cost of living crisis people are going through right now. Amongst vegans, the proportion of participants willing to pay more for veganic products was slightly higher with 56.2% answering ‘yes’ and 40.8% answering ‘maybe’.

*The ‘Depends’ answer denotes participant responses that mention product type, participant’s current income level, food quality and food miles as factors that would influence whether or not they would pay more for veganic products. Their financial circumstance was the most commonly cited factor.

Of the participants who would or might pay more for veganic products (n = 467), 87% of them stated they would pay 10% (47% of participants), 15% (23% of participants), or 20% (17% of participants) more. About 3% would only pay up to 5% more, and only 5% would pay upwards of 25%. Approximately 5% of participants stated that their decision to pay more for such products depended on factors such as their present income and the original price of the product.

*The category ‘other whole plant foods’ denotes participants who said they would buy veganic accredited fruits, vegetables, pulses, grains, nuts and seeds.

The higher preference for beans, oat milk and rolled oats reflects the fact that these are very common foods in vegan diets and can be more conveniently prepared and/or incorporated into cooking than whole wheat flour and seitan. There was a notable demand for veganic whole foods too and if more predefined answers were included (e.g. ‘fruit & veg’ and ‘nuts & seeds’ as selectable answers instead of only having the ‘other’ option) it is likely that more participants would have indicated a desire for these foods.  

The responses to Q7  parallel the reasons people cite for going/being vegan; concern for the wellbeing of animals (ethics) being the most commonly stated reason with environmental and health considerations following.  The concept of supporting farmers is a newer idea for people engaged in these types of dietary changes, but one which is taking hold. 

Currently, veganic products are extremely hard to find in the UK.  The current low awareness and low market demand for veganic products inevitably means that they have to be priced higher in order to cover producer costs.  As demand grows, and veganic product availability increases to meet this demand, prices will fall.

Due to vegans making up a relatively small percentage of the UK’s total population, it might be wise to open up the sale of veganic products to the nationwide market via in-store and online distribution rather than limiting sales to the farm’s immediate vicinity. This would ensure that demand is high enough to keep prices within a reasonable range. If the sale and marketing of veganic products is limited to a farm’s local area, the demand will most likely fall short of supply and these products will be less competitive with organic and conventional food products, leading to the need to raise prices or risk product wastage.