Irish consumers are increasingly considering ethics when buying food and drink; from where it is sourced, how it is produced and processed to how it has reached the shelves. Brands that are able to communicate these ethics and be transparent about their morals appear to be winning over loyal customers; seven in 10 Irish consumers agree they are loyal to companies and brands whose ethics align with their own.

This has only been accelerated by the pandemic as consumers use this downtime to re-evaluate their purchasing habits. However, price considerations remain a barrier to buying ethical food and drink, and the sector is left exposed as disposable household incomes are squeezed as a result of COVID-19 and the recession.

COVID-19’s impact on the economy will therefore be a major threat for ethical food and drink sales given its higher price point. Brands will need to demonstrate why their products are worth paying more for and quantify in real terms how their efforts are benefiting the local and wider community.

As the sustainability movement picks up momentum, there are opportunities for food and drink to reduce plastic packaging as it remains Irish consumers’ top ethical cause of concern. Investing in plastic alternatives that can deliver on quality and durability now will win over more consumers later when greater legislative action is enforced.

• The impact of COVID-19 on consumer behaviour and ethical food and drink.

• Disruption to the ethical food and drink market caused by COVID-19.

• Reasons consumers buy ethical products and what causes/issues are most important to them.

• How brands can leverage their ethical credentials more effectively to engage with consumers.

This update on the impact that COVID-19 is having on the market was prepared on 23 October 2020.

In RoI, the first COVID-19 cases were confirmed in February though numbers were small with the first death related to COVID-19 not recorded until 13 March 2020. One day previous, RoI was put into lockdown on 12 March.

The first COVID-19 cases were confirmed in the UK at the end of January, with a small number of cases in February. As the case level rose, the UK government ordered the closure of non-essential stores on 20 March, which was adopted in NI and the region went into lockdown.

Lockdown had eased in July 2020 but both NI and RoI have since been placed under tighter restrictions as daily new cases of the virus increased again, pointing to signs of a second wave. As of October 2020, NI has been placed in a 2-4-week lockdown with school closures and foodservice closures (excluding takeaway). In RoI, a lockdown was introduced on 19 October 2020 and is set to last six weeks with foodservice and non-essential retail forced to close. Face masks are mandatory (as of August/September 2020) in many establishments and on public transport.

This Report explores Irish consumers’ attitudes towards ethical issues in the food and drink supply chain. It also explores their ethical food and drink shopping behaviour.

The definition of ‘ethical’ in this Report is broad, covering for example, but not limited to, animal welfare, environmental welfare and worker welfare, and other such issues that businesses might cover as part of their corporate social responsibility commitments/strategies. Due to the diverse nature of this subject, not all areas can be explored within the remit of this Report.