Dr Beth Mead
The way we produce, process and consume our food damages our health and the environment. We also have issues with availability of healthy, sustainable foods, with access to such foods not being equitable. Calls for food system transformation have highlighted the need to radically rethink the way access and grow our food. One way of contributing to this could be by increasing UK production of urban-grown food, fruits and vegetables grown in towns and cities. By producing food within our population centres, we could increase the availability of and access to fruits and vegetables, bolster food security, and reconnect people with their food. Achieving this requires acceptance of urban-grown foods by consumers and stakeholders. International evidence suggests that consumers may be unsure of the naturalness, quality and safety of urban-grown foods. Internation stakeholders also query the scalability, sustainability and economic risks of increasing urban-grown food production. However, there is limited data on how these barriers to acceptance of urban-grown foods apply to UK consumers and stakeholders. Understanding consumer and stakeholder perceptions and barriers to acceptance of urban-grown food is crucial to efforts to increase its uptake and realise its proposed benefits for food system transformation.
My TUKFS-FSA Research Fellowship explored UK consumer and stakeholder perceptions of urban-grown foods to identify barrier to their acceptance and opportunities to address these. In our new food.gov report we present findings of a programme of work that represents first UK data on this. We used a large, online consumer survey that assessed consumer choice and willingness to pay for urban-grown food. We also explored participant perceptions of such foods, their decision making about such foods, and barriers to acceptance. We complemented this by exploring stakeholder views of urban-grown food through workshops and interviews with actors across the food system, including food retail, procurement, supply chains, hospitality, academia, and policy.
Consumer findings
Acceptance of urban-grown fruits and vegetables for UK consumers is low but has potential to increase. Consumers were 48% less likely to choose them in an online food choice task compared to foods with no label, and 57% less likely compared to foods labelled as farm grown. However, the amount of money they were willing to pay for urban-grown food was similar to what they would be willing to pay for comparable foods. Furthermore, consumers rated urban-grown food positively, showing moderate-high levels of agreement with statements about its healthiness, nutritional quality, taste, and their willingness to eat and buy it. Analysis of participants’ written answers supported this, suggesting that consumers may be accepting of urban-grown food if they could be assured of its sustainability, taste, safety, and quality, and if it was attractively priced. Importantly, consumers expressed a need for better understanding of urban-grown food and its production, safety, and quality, with such assurances coming from scientific studies, certification and regulators.
Stakeholder findings
Stakeholders reported some interest in urban-grown food but caveated this with queries about its scalability and how reliable and consistent the supply of produce from urban farms/production methods might be. A key consideration was the term “urban-grown food”, which they suggested invoked associations with urban environments. Clarity on what is meant by “urban-grown” and consideration or alternate labelling may help improve uptake. Stakeholders identified the need for clear communication and education about the production and benefits of urban-grown food as key to increasing its uptake and acceptance.
Next steps
Stakeholders identified key steps for increasing acceptance and uptake of urban-grown food in the UK food system. These included:
- Clarity on definitions and terminology for urban-grown food,
- Clarification of the impact of urban pollution on urban-grown food,
- Assurance and evidence of the scalability or urban food growing, and reliability of supplies.
- Appropriate guidance, regulation and certification for urban-grown food to ensure it meets safety and quality standards.
Conclusion
Although evidence suggests that increasing production and uptake of urban-grown food could bring a range of health and sustainability benefits for food system transformation, consumer and stakeholder acceptance of this is vital. UK consumer acceptance of urban grown food may be low, but this research has identified potential for increasing it. Stakeholders may also be willing to engage with urban food growing if appropriate assurances and clarity were provided. Efforts to increase urban food growing should make sure such assurances are provided, benefits of urban food growing are clearly communicated, and produce is attractively priced.
