Gourmet Business - June '22 - Atlanta Market Preview

Sustainability Is Driving Sales

Surprisingly, I think Americans are genuinely interested and supportive of the ideals of sustainability, and it is now becoming a factor in purchasing decisions.  The idea of saving the environment is not a new one. There has always been a segment of the population devoted to preserving our natural environment, but it always seemed like they were in the minority.  But, I sense that something has changed to keep this idea at the forefront of our thoughts.

Perhaps the perils of climate change are becoming so prevalent and dominate in the news that it is more difficult to put aside and forget about the impact we are having on the environment.  Devastating forest fires, flooding, and sometimes-even drought, are causing havoc we just can’t ignore.  It is also having an impact on the food business, as climatic conditions have evolved to such an extent that the growing environment in a particular region has changed or the natural resources depleted to the point where crops can’t yield the same way they did once upon a time.  As an example, here in New England the warm waters are forcing the lobsters to move north, which puts them right on the border with Canadian controlled waters, creating a conflict as to the rights to fish for them.  Who could have imagined?

I think the Millennial generation deserves some of the credit for supporting companies and products that are taking action to reduce their carbon footprint and create products with sustainable materials.  As the sale of products with a good sustainability story grow, it encourages other product producers to also follow suit.  I think the Millennial generation understands that they will need to be the stewards of our world for the future, and they are taking it upon themselves to encourage the world to care for their environment and combat further climate change.

Lately I have been seeing more and more interesting products that have been created with sustainability in mind.  There seems to be some great product innovation happening right now with products being created with plant-based and organic materials.  There are also some great upcycled products companies that have devised a way to turn what was formerly a waste material into a useable product to extend the lifecycle and usefulness of the original material. I am also impressed with some of the packing innovation too, since we are all aware of the need to reduce the use of plastics, targeting the package itself is a wise way for companies to have an impact.

If you plan to visit one of the upcoming shows at Atlanta Market or Las Vegas Market, you should be on the lookout for these sustainability attributes because I think you will find that that they are in demand.  We will certainly highlight some outstanding examples for you in an upcoming issue.