Sainsbury’s recent ‘Future of Food Report’ gives an exciting look into a bright green plant-based future.
Sainsbury’s is 150 years old this year and has always prided itself as “being at the forefront of introducing new food to the nation, turning once ‘niche’ items into everyday products.” And we think it’s proved that statement…
Not only was it the first British supermarket to introduce avocado in 1962, but over the last 18 months it has introduced over 100 alternative protein products (mock meat, dairy, and fish products), making it the supermarket of choice for many plant-munching Brits.
The Report
Sainsbury’s recent ‘Future of Food Report’ looks at three future scenarios; in 2025, 2050, and 2069, and predicts how the production of food and the buying habits of consumers will change over time.
Claire Hughes, Head of Quality and Innovation at Sainsbury’s says in the report:
Driven by unprecedented awareness of animal welfare, health concerns, and eco-anxiety, more of us than ever could be putting the planet first when writing our shopping list.
James Wong, Plant Scientist explains:
What we are seeing now – especially with the explosion of plant-based foods – is diversity in food returning to the British diet. With that increasing variety in diets comes more understanding of where our food comes from and a deeper appreciation of food production.
He adds:
We are seeing increased interest in the functional food trend – where people are drawn to foods with perceived health benefits.
The Findings
The report claims that although the trend for global meat is increasing, Britons are changing their diets to eat less meat, whether for health, animals, or the environment.
By 2025, it is expected that a quarter of all British people will be vegetarian and that flexitarians will make up just under half of all UK consumers.
Sainsbury’s alone has seen a 24% increase in customers searching for vegan products online, and a 65% increase in sales of plant-based products year-on-year, as customers increasingly consider a vegan, vegetarian, or flexitarian lifestyle.
The report also suggests that in 30 years, we could even be introducing a ‘lab-grown’ aisle, where people can pick up cultured-meats (produced with 3D printing technology in farms run by robots) and kits to grow meat at home!
According to Sainsbury’s, it looks like the future’s bright. The future’s vegan.
Interested in a vegan future? Sign up to try vegan with Veganuary today!
