In the UK, new research shows the extent to which the Covid-19 crisis is changing consumers’ lifestyle and their relationship with food. The YouGov survey, which polled 4,343 adults, was commissioned by the RSA’s Food, Farming and Countryside Commission (FFCC), along with the charity The Food Foundation. Results were weighted and extrapolated to the rest of the adult population.
Key findings include:
- More than half of respondents (51%) have noticed cleaner air outdoors since the outbreak began while over a quarter (27%) have noticed more wildlife
- 42% said that the outbreak has changed how they value food as an essential
- 6% (rising to 9% in London), some 3 million people, have tried a veg box scheme or ordered food from a local farm for the very first time
- A third (33%) are wasting less food, while 14% are using less plastic packaging
The research suggests that UK consumers are happy with their new more sustainable lifestyle: only 9% would like things to go back to the way they were before the crisis.
Research lead for the RSA’s FFCC, Professor Tom MacMillan from the Royal Agricultural University, said, “This data shows there is a real appetite for change, and for the nation to learn from this crisis. People are trying new things and noticing differences, at home, in their work and in communities.”