THREE recent independent surveys carried out by Guaranteed Irish, SuperValu, and Bord Bia show that the Irish public are consciously supporting local brands, which is good news for local business and the environment.
At a recent event in Cork called ‘Cracking Sustainability in the Face of Rising Costs’, held by Guaranteed Irish and sponsored by SuperValu and Centra, Fiona Twomey of Bord Bia announced the results of their recent survey, which found Irish consumers remain committed to supporting locally produced food. Almost two in three buy local produce on a weekly basis, and over half expect to increase their frequency of purchase of local produce in the next six months.
Research carried out by Red C for 2023 confirmed that 79% of consumers who bought from Guaranteed Irish businesses believe they are supporting a sustainable economy, with 69% agreeing that buying from Guaranteed Irish businesses helped reduce carbon footprint.
A survey by SuperValu in May this year showed that 99% of shoppers buy Irish products while 83% would be influenced to buy a product that displays the Guaranteed Irish ‘G’ symbol.
The most recent survey by Bord Bia showed that consumers are more intent on buying Irish products to support local businesses than ever.
Reacting to the results, Owen Keogh, Musgrave Group, Head of Sustainability, said: ‘Musgrave has invested in sustainability over many decades. I am delighted to see so many of the Guaranteed Irish members also committed to making their businesses and products more sustainable. By harnessing our collective effort, we can really accelerate the progress made in the Irish food and drinks sector.
Emma Walls from Glenisk said that her company’s focus on sustainability has been a major part of its success. ‘Our customers can have confidence that buying locally is buying sustainably from a Guaranteed Irish business.’ she added.
Brian Murphy, Deloitte Partner, spoke about of the Deloitte Global 2023 Gen Z and Millennial Survey, which highlighted that employees in those categories ‘have high expectations from business leaders and expect them to drive progress on DEI, societal impact, climate change and environmental sustainability.’
Brid O’Connell, CEO Guaranteed Irish, welcomed the result of all three surveys, which she said highlighted the importance of collectively promoting provenance with pride.
