Wednesday, 04 December 2019 11:55

Plastic number one concern

Written by  Staff Reporters
More important than environmental sustainability? More important than environmental sustainability?

Consumers are more concerned about plastic packaging than sustainable food production.

That’s the findings of a recent New Zealand consumer study. A partnership between life science company Bayer and the NZ Nutrition Foundation (NZNF) released the insights from its inaugural Bayer Food Focus Project, which looks into NZers’ eating behaviours and food consumption.

Findings from the survey indicate that respondents identified the amount of plastic packaging as their top concern when making decisions to buy food and beverages. Some 42% of respondents rated it as ‘extremely’ or ‘very important’. However, this figure dropped substantially when respondents were asked about environmental sustainability. 

Only 27% identified that knowing their food was produced in an environmentally sustainable way (including organic) was ‘extremely’ or ‘very important’. Furthermore, only 21% found the use of modern farming techniques to be ‘extremely’ or ‘very important’ when making buying decisions.

The study also highlighted that older participants were less likely to rank environmental sustainability as an important factor when deciding on food. 45% of people aged 15-34 years stated that food being produced in an environmentally sustainable way was either 'very' or 'extremely important' to them, compared to only 29% of those aged 55 years or more.

The project consisted of two key parts: the first Australasian pilot study conducted by Auckland University of Technology (AUT), using the new innovative Veggie Meter device to establish a benchmark of Kiwis’ vegetable and fruit consumption via a fingertip scan; and an online questionnaire with 1346 adult respondents, to understand which foods New Zealanders are most commonly consuming and why. 

More like this

Editorial: Sense at last

OPINION: For the first time in many years, a commonsense approach is emerging to balance environmental issues with the need for the nation's primary producers to be able to operate effectively.

Dark ages

OPINION: Before we all let The Green Party have at it with their 'bold' emissions reduction plan, the Hound thought it wise to run the numbers through the old Casio.

Govt limits forestry conversions

Farmers have welcomed the Government’s move designed to limit farm to forestry conversions entering the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS).

Faulty models used to measure emissions

OPINION: If you have kept your finger on the emissions pulse, none of the below information will be a surprise to you. However, if you are a farmer that has not been following New Zealand’s ruminant methane issue then you may be in for a nasty shock.

Featured

Australia develops first local mRNA FMD vaccine

Foot and Mouth Disease outbreaks could have a detrimental impact on any country's rural sector, as seen in the United Kingdom's 2000 outbreak that saw the compulsory slaughter of over six million animals.

NZ household food waste falls again

Kiwis are wasting less of their food than they were two years ago, and this has been enough to push New Zealand’s total household food waste bill lower, the 2025 Rabobank KiwiHarvest Food Waste survey has found.

Editorial: No joking matter

OPINION: Sir Lockwood Smith has clearly and succinctly defined what academic freedom is all about, the boundaries around it and the responsibility that goes with this privilege.

DairyNZ plantain trials cut nitrate leaching by 26%

DairyNZ says its plantain programme continues to deliver promising results, with new data confirming that modest levels of plantain in pastures reduce nitrogen leaching, offering farmers a practical, science-backed tool to meet environmental goals.

National

Machinery & Products

Tech might take time

Agritech Unleashed – a one-day event held recently at Mystery Creek, near Hamilton – focused on technology as an ‘enabler’…

John Deere acquires GUSS Automation

John Deere has announced the full acquisition of GUSS Automation, LLC, a globally recognised leader in supervised high-value crop autonomy,…

Fencing excellence celebrated

The Fencing Contractors Association of New Zealand (FCANZ) celebrated the best of the best at the 2025 Fencing Industry Awards,…

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

A step too far

OPINION: For years, the ironically named Dr Mike Joy has used his position at Victoria University to wage an activist-style…

Save us from SAFE

OPINION: A mate of yours truly has had an absolute gutsful of the activist group SAFE.

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter