In a survey conducted by the Food Ethics Council, 2,131 British residents aged 16 to 24 were asked about their beliefs regarding the current food system. The results show that the British generations are divided when it comes to how fair they think the food system is to the environment and farm animals.
54% of participants between 16 and 24 years of age agreed that the current food system is unfair to farm animals, and 46% also considered it “unfair” to the environment. The interesting thing is that their answers contrast with those of older generations. Only 32% of participants over 65 years of age thought the food system was unfair to farm animals, and only 28% to the environment.
The survey shows that there are different views between the generations with regards to conscious consumption. Dan Crossley, Executive Director of the Food Ethics Council, said: “Younger generations are increasingly demanding food systems that reflect different values towards animals and the environment.”
Crossley also sees the survey as an opportunity for companies to address the growth in demand for ethical food in their product planning.
The importance of the younger generations as drivers of change seems to be especially noticeable in the UK. The Foodservice Forum in London also sees Generation Y as a driver in this area.
