ADM has announced its third annual outlook on the global consumer trends that will shape the food, beverage and animal nutrition industries and drive market growth in the years ahead.
Related: ADM Celebrates 120-Year Anniversary
ADM has identified eight spaces that detail consumers’ evolving behaviors, attitudes and aspirations. Here are the report highlights that serve to usher in a new wave of products and services for 2023:
Experiential Eating
Increasingly, global consumers are getting more adventurous with their food, as 74% express a desire to try new flavors from around the world and 63% report they like to be experimental when cooking. While seeking out new and interesting flavor profiles, eaters also want to engage with fun and playful brands as part of the experience. If those brands can encourage participation through co-creation and virtual experiences, loyalty can be won with the sense of community it creates and the entertainment it provides.
Expanded Protein Choices
More than half (52%) of global consumers now consider themselves flexitarians, incorporating both animal-based and plant-based or other alternative proteins into their diet. As technology natives Gen Z and Gen Alpha grow up, acceptance of applying scientific advancements to make our food will continue to become more commonplace, and practices like cellular agriculture, precision fermentation, hybrid products and those with insect-based protein, are likely to flourish.
Balanced Wellness
Globally, 79% of consumers believe that supporting their mental health has a positive effect on their overall health and wellness. Plus, 48% of global consumers plan to address their mental well-being over the next year, making the issue among their top concerns after immune function, digestive and heart health.
Proactive Personalization
Globally, 63% of consumers say they are interested in food and drink products that are customized to meet their individual nutritional needs. On top of that, 55% of global consumers say they are willing to spend more on functional foods that can support their health goals.
Trust and Traceability
Research shows that 42% of global consumers have become more trusting of environmental claims made by products and brands in the last two years. This need for transparency is borne not only from food safety concerns but also from a desire for connection with the food and the communities that grow or make it. As such, consumers are looking to support companies they perceive as honest and authentic and that utilize technology like QR codes or blockchain to allow the traceability of products and ingredients to their origins.
Earth-Friendly Production
Globally, 49% of consumers claim to have changed their diet in the last two years to lead a more environmentally friendly lifestyle. They’re also demanding a higher standard from the companies they purchase from regarding their environmentally conscious practices. Consumers are greatly focusing on reducing their own food waste, and they will expect the same from the brands they support. Consumers want proof of environmental rebuilding and restoration, as well.
Social Impact
Almost 30% of global consumers have actively boycotted a product or brand because of its ethical credentials, and 40% seek out brands that guarantee farmers have been treated in an ethical manner. Ensuring workers’ and farmers’ livelihoods, employing inclusivity and diversity methods throughout the organization, and keeping products affordable and accessible to the end user are all important considerations to modern consumers when making purchasing decisions.
Brad Schwan, vice president of marketing for ADM, said, “Often interconnected, these key themes are permeating throughout consumers’ choices, demands and expectations of brands. The desire for a healthy mind, body and soul, as well as the global community and planet, are manifesting in proactive and decisive conscientious consumption across categories. As consumers look to prioritize what is most important to them, they want nutrition brands to do the same. Companies that can nimbly evolve alongside consumers are poised for success in the coming year and beyond.”
Want to know everything going on in flavor & fragrance? Sign up for P&F+'s newsletter. You can also follow along on Instagram and LinkedIn.
