Sustainability Matters According to Consumer Survey and That’s Good for Rice!

ARLINGTON, VA -- According to the recently released Annual Food and Health Survey by the International Food Information Council Foundation (IFIC), the importance of sustainability in food production is at an all-time high with consumers, and key drivers of consumer food purchases continue to be taste, price, healthfulness, convenience, and sustainability.  The findings present a positive outlook for rice consumption in 2018.

The online survey of more than 1,000 Americans ages 18-80 revealed that 59 percent of consumers prefer the foods they purchase and consume be produced in a sustainable way.  This 59 percent mark represents an all-time high for the IFIC survey, with the percentage growing from 35 percent in 2015, 41 percent in 2016, and 50 percent in 2017.

“Consumers interested in the sustainability of their food can look to U.S.-grown rice with confidence because our sustainability story is quite literally second to none,” said Michael Klein, vice president of marketing for USA Rice.  “Our farmers are consistently reducing water, energy, and land use, increasing yields, and creating millions of acres of critical wildlife habitat, without the use of GMOs.  All while adhering to the most thorough food safety standards in the world and producing an affordable, delicious, and nutritious food.”

The survey also revealed the key drivers behind consumers’ food and beverage purchases for 2018 were taste, with 81 percent saying it had some impact in buying decisions, followed by familiarity (65 percent), price (64 percent), healthfulness (61 percent), convenience (54 percent), and sustainability (39 percent).  “Food values” as a decision-making factor is on the upswing with organic and natural items rising in consumers’ purchases:  organics represent 29 percent of what is bought and natural labeled items represent 37 percent.

“U.S.-grown rice aligns with consumer values extremely well,” said Klein.  “When you look at the six consumer purchasing drivers and food values, U.S.-grown rice checks all the boxes!”