Concern about whether the credit crunch will bring ethical purchasing to a halt seems to be exercising many minds. The latest to publish a survey is The Times newspaper.
In answer to the question "In the next year are you likely to .....", the 1000 people surveyed replied as follows:
Buy more organic food - 34%
Buy more Fair Trade products - 59%
Buy healthier food - 64%
Buy food that can guarantee a better deal for farmers - 66%
Buy more locally produced goods - 71%
Buy food with less packaging - 80%
The same survey also asked the question "Given the growing economic uncertainty, which of the following best describes how you would be likely to respond if you had to cut back on your consumer spending?" Answers to this question have been tracked over time, and are as follows:
Still try to buy the most ethical and environmentally friendly products I could
Nov o7 - 65%
Dec 07 - 69%
Jan 08 - 63%
Feb 08 - 69%
Be more likely to buy products and services that represented the best value for money regardless
Nov 07 - 35%
Dec 07 - 31%
Jan 08 - 37%
Feb 08 - 31%
Mar 08 - 35%
Mar 08 - 35%
The way consumers anwer questions about their intentions should always be treated with a high level of scepticism. What consumers say they will do and what they actually do are two very different things. This is particularly true when it comes to questioning consumers about their ethics. The best way of interpreting the data is probably like this. In the first table, the answers show what issues are highest on consumers minds, and what messages are getting through to them. So, they are irritated about excess packaging, which we know from many other surveys, and they are thinking favourably about locally produced foods, and fairness to farmers at home and abroad. They are less sure about organic foods though. I'd say the second table has little value given that many consumers won't want an interviewer to think badly of them, and so are unlikely to agree that ethics will go out of the window in favour of a better price.
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