Some 58% of French consumers believe that buying local has a ‘positive impact’ on their communities, a new study by Kantar has found.
In addition, close to two thirds (64%) state that they are willing to pay more for products that guarantee fair remuneration to small producers.
“Global crises have brought the issue of food sovereignty back to the forefront of consumers’ concerns,” commented Gaëlle le Floch, insight director at Kantar Worldpanel.
The data showed that for many French consumers, adopting a more responsible approach to food consumption starts with health, with 28% stating that health is their ‘main motivation’ for choosing more sustainable products.
Eco-committed households
While sustainability ranks highly as a purchase consideration among French consumers – 48% of consumers prioritise environmentally friendly products – Kantar’s data also showed that the percentage of ‘eco-committed’ households has fallen from 24% in 2023 to 21% in 2024.
At the same time, Kantar predicts a rebound, with 30% expected to be eco-engaged by 2028.
Kantar’s data also reveals a gap between consumers’ ecological intentions and their actual purchasing habits. While 60% express a desire to adopt more sustainable practices, only 44% are actively engaged.
The main barriers cited by consumers include price (58%), convenience (30%), and a certain mistrust (27%) toward products labeled as responsible, highlighting the importance of increased transparency.
Read more: More than one in eight in France are materially or socially deprived
Healthy diet
Other findings from the study include that more than half (53%) of French people are committed to a healthy diet, with a growing preference for products without additives, sugar, and salt.
The Nutri-Score has become a key indicator for consumers, influencing the food choices of 56%, and serving as a guide for 42% of households.
The data was unveiled to coincide with Kantar’s ‘Consumer Green Day’, an event that brought together key players in the consumer goods industry to explore trends in responsible consumption in France, which took place last week.
At the event, Kantar identified four main drivers behind responsible consumption: health, local, ethics, and ecology, and categorised consumers into three profiles (convinced, sensitive, and skeptical), each representing one-third of the population. Read more here.
