What Consumer Data Can Tell Us About the Future of Sustainability

While the values-action gap still exists, consumer research helps organizations understand their audience motivations and who is buying their product, or expand their audiences to growing numbers of sustainability-conscious shoppers.

Sponsored Content | / This article is sponsored by Marine Stewardship Council | By Kristen Stevens | Published 3 months ago | About a 4 minute read

Image: MSC

The narratives and knowledge around environmental sustainability have strengthened in recent years — influencing consumer behavior across industries, changing how they use energy and travel, as well as how they shop for consumer goods and groceries. The experience of living through a global pandemic — coupled with increased visibility, especially on social media, of crises around the world such as extreme-weather events — has intensified how people view their role in the global community. Increasingly, people recognize that the actions and choices they make in their daily lives can have lasting impacts on the environment.

Consumers are increasingly interested in buying products that are better for the environment and nature — a positive shift for those working in the sustainable food space. Europe has been ahead of the US in this regard for years; but according to the 2024 Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) seafood consumer survey, conducted by research consultancy GlobeScan, the US may be starting to close the gap. Understanding consumer attitudes toward the environment, sustainability and specifically seafood consumption can help us understand the sustainability movement more broadly.

Pressure on the planet

The pressure of the global population’s consumption habits on the planet is mounting, with a 2023 study showing that safe boundaries of many of the planetary systems that are critical for earth’s stability — such as biodiversity — have been irreparably compromised. Our study shows that where and how our food is produced has become a mainstream concern among US consumers; and while all foods rely on natural resources to varying degrees, this is especially important for our last truly wild source of food — seafood.

According to the 2024 UN Food & Agriculture Organization’s State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture report, more than a third of marine fish stocks are overfished — a trend that is worsening with time: The 2.3 percentage point increase over the past two years, compared to 2020, is almost double the increase seen in the previous reporting period. Maintaining healthy fish stocks is crucial for ocean biodiversity and food security. Wild seafood is a major source of protein for millions of people around the globe — particularly, in emerging economies. The latest findings come as a wake-up call about the urgency of reversing the current trend. Importantly, the UN’s second World Ocean Assessment (2021) estimates that, with the right management, 98 percent of currently overfished stocks could return to healthy levels by 2050. It’s one of the world’s environmental issues that could feasibly be solved within this generation.

Hope for the future

The 2024 MSC seafood consumer survey results offer some hope: Consumers want to make a difference and believe that they can. The survey is conducted in 23 countries, with 72 percent of respondents saying we must consume seafood only from sustainable sources — 65 percent of US respondents believe we need to do so. Over nine in ten US consumers are feeling the magnitude of issues impacting the ocean — one of the largest increases in concern across the surveyed countries. Seafood consumers globally are well aware of their purchasing power — over half say they are prepared to pay more for sustainable options; though only the US, UK and Japan have seen an increase in people saying they are willing to pay more since 2020. This is especially notable at a time when consumers continue to be cost-conscious amid the ongoing, global economic crisis.

Sustainability is good for business, too. When it comes to certifications and ecolabels, 54 percent of US seafood consumers said that ecolabels on seafood products raise their trust and confidence in the brand — up from 49 percent in 2022. Seven in ten want retailers’ and brands’ claims about sustainability and the environment to be clearly labeled and third-party verified.

Building & maintaining trust with consumers

Consumer research studies such as this MSC survey offer a valuable peek into consumer motivations, attitudes and behaviors. And while what people say they do is not always what people do — sometimes referred to as the values-action gap — consumer research helps organizations such as the MSC understand its audience motivations, and retailers and seafood companies understand who is buying their product or expand their audiences to growing numbers of sustainability-conscious shoppers.

This data is not only crucial for the seafood industry but also demonstrates to others how consumer awareness and demand for sustainable practices continues to grow. By understanding these patterns, businesses in various industries can better align their strategies with the sustainability movement — addressing environmental concerns while meeting consumer expectations. Embracing these insights allows companies to foster trust, enhance brand loyalty and contribute to a more sustainable future.

GlobeScan and MSC will host a webinar this fall to unpack more of the survey findings. Sign up to get notified about the upcoming webinar, or reach out to [email protected] to talk more about the research and findings. We’re always interested in hearing how the results resonate with other businesses and sectors.