Client:
The Consumer Observatory is supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union.
Partnerts include: Aarhus University, AZTI, Future of Food Institute, Greenhouse Communications, House of Insights, The REAL Leadership Consultancy, Thinktank International Research, Your Allies, University of Reading and Wageningen Economic Research.
Brief:
The Consumer Observatory brings together research and consumer insights organisations from across the food system to curate and produce bespoke research, up-to-date analysis, and unique insights from across the agrifood community.
By making consumer insights accessible to the agrifood community the Consumer Observatory aims to help educators, policy-makers, food manufacturers with their strategy. In this way, the agrofood system will be truly consumer-centric.
Our approach:
The Future of Food Institute is responsible for the research that will lead to consumer insights.
This will be done primarily with the help of the CPF, an online community with approximately 300 participants from 13 European countries, selected on a basis of a medium-to-high level of interest in the food chain. Members of the community take part in regular open discussions, photo assignments, questionnaires, polls and focus group sessions to inform consumer insights on topics and themes such as food innovation and novel foods.
Next to qualitative research, Future of Food Institute will also conduct large-scale quantitative studies with a representative European sample. This includes the TrustTracker® study, an evidence-based questionnaire of consumers from 18 countries to measure consumer trust in the food industry, as well as upcoming issue tracking studies. These studies will cover topics that can be tracked over the years, for example interest in plant-based diets, or openness to cultured meat.
Furthermore, the Consumer Obervatory will be responsible for setting up and maintaining the new Knowledge Management System of consumer insights for EIT Food. This will be a large database with consumer insights gathered by the observatory, as well as consumer insights gathered by EIT Food before it was established.
Additionally, this project will be monitoring (meta)trends in the food chain through a trend-spotting program to be ahead of the curve in future food system scenarios. Finally, a food expert advisory board, made up of 10 food system stakeholders from across Europe, will take part in regular agrifood trend consultations.
The first study conducted by Future of Food Institute for the the Consumer Observatory has been published.
Find out more:
You can get in touch here to find out more about how the Consumer Observatory can tailor consumer insights to answer your questions, whether you are a product owner, educator, policymaker or other stakeholder in agrifood.
We believe that understanding consumers is key to making the food system more sustainable. Successful innovation and impactful communication require a solid foundation of consumer insight.
We are the insights partner of choice for food companies and non-profits that aim to have a positive impact on society and our planet. Together we empower consumers to make food choices that are good for them as well as for the planet.
