A new report by food and grocery expert IGD has outlined an apparent move towards sustainability for UK-based grocery manufacturers, with 85 per cent of companies surveyed either stepping up or maintaining their investment in sustainability during the recession.
This comes despite the fact that just over two-fifths, or 42 per cent, of groups believing that the issue of sustainability is not yet a high priority for consumers.
According to IGD, up to 76 per cent of suppliers thought that sustainability would play a greater role in trading relationships with retailers in the near future, but just over 40 per cent viewed global competition for resource and more complex legislation as two of the biggest threats to wider business sustainability in 2010 and beyond.
'Our recent consumer research has shown that shoppers are already concerned about the environmental impact of products and continue to seek value for their values,' said IGD chief executive Joanne Denney-Finch.
'However, manufacturers are looking further to the future, increasing investment in sustainable solutions and anticipating shopper interest in green products is still in its formative stages,' she added. 'It is set to be a major feature in the marketplace in the coming new decade.'
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