UK vegetables

A report by food and grocery analyst IGD has found that growing numbers of shoppers in the UK are specifically purchasing locally produced food, flying in the face of the difficult economic conditions.

According to the IGD report, nearly one-third (30 per cent) of shoppers interviewed said that they had purchased local foods over a month-long period, double the number that had done so in 2006.

When asked about food that they had purchased over the previous month, 27 per cent of shoppers said that they had bought Fairtrade products, up from 9 per cent in 2006, while 18 per cent said that they had purchased products with high animal welfare standards (11 per cent in 2006).

'These figures prove what we have been saying throughout the recession – shoppers are looking for both value and values,' said IGD chief executive Joanne Denney-Finch. 'They are not simply looking for cheaper food in tough times, they also expect the grocery industry to support their moral and ethical values.'

Reasons for purchasing locally produced food varies, with 57 per cent of customers saying that it was fresher having not travelled so far, and 54 per cent saying that they wanted to support local producers and farmers (up from 28 per cent in 2006).

Additionally, 34 per cent of shoppers said that they purchased the food to support local retailers, up from 18 per cent in 2006, while 29 per cent wanted to keep jobs in the local area, an increase from 14 per cent in 2006.

When IGD asked shoppers about the improvements they would like to see in their food shopping experience, 31 per cent said that they would like more local products available and 20 per cent said that they would like a farmers market or farm shop to be established in the area.