Consumers have the money - how do we get them to spend it on local food?

Just over 1/3 of Danish consumers associate local food production as one factor of sustainable production. But for fewer Danes, 'produced in my local area' plays a factor when they buy food. It is not only common sense to have more local food on their dinner plates. It is also an important contribution to the sustainable development of our society - and at the same time a strengthening of competitiveness. The good news is that Danes want to be guided to a better choice - if we tell them how we can make them better.

Imagine when you are out shopping. You are not only greeted by the smell of fresh local products. You are inspired. You are greeted by one story after another about how you are not only becoming healthier through quality and a transparent sustainable production process - but you also impact the development of society. The choice is easy for you.

For Danish consumers, sustainability means many things. 'Local food production' is one factor they associate with sustainability. Danes have some understanding, and we need to meet them where they are.

Image 1: Danes were asked what they associate with sustainability in food production.

We must make the choice of local foods an important driver for Denmark to achieve the goal of sustainable development locally and in society. A development where we act to solve real problems.

Sustainability is almost everything and nothing, even when it comes to food. It's about climate, animal welfare, quality, health, labor, well-being and much more.

And that can be difficult for consumers to deal with.

Therefore, the individual food producer must work in a balance that is just right for him. Where he creates value for consumers. Not everyone can do everything.

The individual food producer must be very concrete and specific in what he brings to the market.

How he makes the Danes better.

Then we can also get Danes to buy more local food.

Danes love meat and eat traditionally.

Traditional dishes still occupy a large part of the dinner table in Danish homes.

Consumer prices for food continue to rise, and this naturally affects the choices Danes make when they go shopping. Danes shop food based on price and perceived quality.

But the farm-to-fork food chains have a window to act to make price less important. They need to make the value that food creates more prominent.

It is necessary for consumers to make more responsible choices. And for us to make that happen, knowledge must be easily accessible.

Only 17% of consumers experience that they have sufficient knowledge to a high or very high degree about how food is produced in a sustainable and responsible manner.

And now that we know that consumers associate local food with sustainability, we need to act on it. It's just common sense.

We must therefore be better at telling Danes about the value that each choice creates for them and for society. Then they will also be willing to pay the price.

The difference lies in engagement and collaboration.

Only 23% of Danes believe that it is 'easy or very easy' to choose food that is produced in a sustainable and responsible way.

The responsibility for knowledge and learning of the Danes lies with the entire chain from farm to fork. Consumers themselves say so.

Image 2: Responsibility lies in the entire chain from farm to fork

There is clearly potential in more and better collaboration to get more local foods on the shelves and on dinner plates. A collaboration that is about development and about more and better knowledge and learning for consumers.

The value of the local election must be very concrete and precise - and it must be available where Danes make their choices.

Whether they choose, for example, conventional or organic - wild or farmed.

It's about us communicating the value through transparency and documentation - so that Danes can make a more informed choice.

In the community, consumers must be guided to exactly what the local choice does for them in terms of, for example, their climate footprint and health.

The chain aims to guide Danes better.

For this to succeed, consumers themselves must be involved on an ongoing basis. Invite them to the table and innovation proces, to understand them and to do the right thing at the right time. They are part of the development.

And the chain from farm to fork should just work like a cow. Where knowledge, data, information and joint projects flow naturally through the system and out to consumers, so they can easily make a better choice.

The collaboration must work as one whole - easily and smoothly.

It is through engagement and collaboration that we ultimately create more responsible and informed choices.

This is where we create the necessary change – and where the competitiveness of the individual local food producer and for Denmark is also strengthened.

Join the dialogue You have the opportunity to come and help put local foods on the agenda and on the dinner plate. Come to the annual meeting on February 25, 2025 in Ringsted.

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About the Local Food Industry Association : The purpose of the industry association is to contribute to the commercial development of the local Danish food value chain with a view to the production, processing and refinement of food for the Danish consumer.

About the study: Data and insights mentioned are from a study conducted in collaboration between FutureComm , Human Engage & Bilendi . The study was conducted on November 12-18, 2024 in a sample of the Danish population aged 20-75. It is a representative study on the dimensions gender, age, geography for the population of Denmark.