Following a study based on interviews with 130 suppliers from 10 countries, UK-based food and grocery research agency IGD reveals that 85 per cent of manufacturers have either stepped up their investment in sustainability or kept it the same during the recession despite just over two-fifths (42 per cent) believing it is not yet high enough on the shopper agenda.
Three-quarters (76 per cent) of suppliers think that sustainability will play a greater role in their trading relationships with retailers in the near future, but just over 40 per cent view increased global competition for resource (41 per cent) and more complex legislation (40 per cent) as two of the biggest threats to wider business sustainability in 2010 and beyond.
Joanne Denney-Finch, chief executive, IGD, comments: “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.
“However, manufacturers are looking further to the future, increasing investment in sustainable solutions and anticipating that shopper interest in green products is still in its formative stages. It is set to be a major feature in the marketplace in the coming new decade.”
— IndiaRetailing Bureau
