Editor’s Comment
Quality vs quantity
Quality vs quantity. It’s an old debate,
and which is the more important
very much depends on your
circumstances.
If you’re short of food, then you
really start to think about volumes. I
recently watched a documentary on
survivors of child labour camps that
included an interview with a man
who, as a starving child, had found a
pea. He cut it up into pieces to make
it last as long as possible. No matter
that it was old and dry, his plight was
such that even this morsel was of
extremely high value.
paramount importance to more
people than ever before, and the
fact that shoppers stood firm by
animal welfare through some of the
most di;cult economic times only
reinforced that it was an issue that
was here to stay.
Of course, welfare is a matter of
interpretation, but the labelling used
by Freedom Food, would appear
to resonate with a number of UK
consumers. It conveys the message
that a certain group of consumers
wants to hear, and helps them in
making a purchasing decision.
To see Anthony
Kleanthous talk about
how meat producers will
have to confront change,
go to: www.WAT TAgNet.
com/ 15376.html
g
Times of plenty
Of course, when there is plenty,
a found pea is unlikely to be treated
with such reverence, even if it remains
nutritious. Circumstances, although
not entirely, greatly dictate the food
that we will accept and want.
Research from the UK has shown
that consumers are buying more
Freedom Food — the RSPCA farm
assurance scheme — indoor chicken,
while lower welfare standard chicken
is su;ering a downturn.
The research — carried out
by Kantar Worldpanel for RSPCA
Freedom Food — revealed growth
and spend on Freedom Food indoor
reared chicken is outstripping
standard with a £55.2 million increase
in consumer spending on Freedom
Food-labelled chicken, from £ 16.4
million to £71.6 million over the 12
months to March.
Growth in the amount of Freedom
Food chicken sold in supermarkets
has also overtaken standard, up by
over 15 million kilos, compared to
standard’s decrease of 11 million.
Leigh Grant, Freedom Food’s
chief executive, commented
that the figures were absolute
proof that chicken welfare was of
Consumer perception
Consumer perception is important
for a variety of reasons and was
touched on by Anthony Kleanthous
at this year’s British Pig Executive
(BPEX) Market Outlook event.
In examining the impact of pig
production on the environment,
he touched on whether rising
living standards in developing
countries have to result in greater
meat consumption, asking whether
consumption goes up because, once
consumers in developing markets
attain a certain income, they want
to mimic the consumption habits of
developed markets, or whether they
consume more meat because it has
become relatively cheaper, and so is
no longer regarded a luxury.
As meat production and
consumption increase, there are
questions that arise in relation
to sustainability, and the various
approaches that can be taken
to reduce meat’s impact. One
suggestion is to eat less meat.
But is this a desirable or even
viable option? Looking at the role of
retailers, Kleanthous suggested that
they could play a role in reducing
portion sizes and taking meat up
market. Not only could they make
foods with a low meat content
irresistible, but could also foster
consumers’ perceptions of meat
as special. As perceptions change,
consumers may be willing to eat less
meat if seen as having more value.
Risks and limitations
But is there not a risk for any
producer venturing into birds that
are more expensive to produce and
more expensive to sell to retailers,
of losing out when the market, and
retailers, turn to lower cost goods?
Perhaps not. The UK experience
suggests consumers are prepared to
pay more for a product they perceive
to be of a higher value.
Based on FAO data, some estimates
suggest that food production will have
to double over the next 50 years and,
of course, these arguments only come
into play in those countries where
income levels are su;ciently high and
food supplies su;ciently plentiful,
but over time, they may become
increasingly relevant.
Producers will have some
interesting options to consider, the
production of less but higher margin
products, or more product, but with
lower margins. ◻
