Consumers in Ireland would buy more local products if product labelling was clearer, according to new research released ahead of June’s Guaranteed Irish Food & Drink Month.
The study found that consumers would be encouraged to shop Irish if labelling included product details such as the exact location of production or where ingredients are sourced.
Guaranteed Irish is calling on consumers to shop sustainably by choosing locally sourced products and to look out for the Guaranteed Irish ‘G’ when doing their weekly shop.
Sponsored by Mugrave’s SuperValu and Centra chains, Guaranteed Irish Food & Drink Month is an annual event with a range of food-focused activities taking place, including events, podcasts, and promotions – all supporting Irish food and drink producers while encouraging consumers to buy Irish.
Recent research by Guaranteed Irish found that 79% of consumers who buy from Guaranteed Irish businesses believe they are supporting a sustainable economy, with 69% agreeing that buying from Guaranteed Irish members helps reduce their carbon footprint (Red C Poll 2023). A separate survey by SuperValu showed that 99% of shoppers buy Irish-made products while 83% would be influenced to buy a product that displays the Guaranteed Irish ‘G’ symbol.
Participants believe the main benefits of buying Irish-produced products are that it keeps money in the Irish economy while supporting Irish jobs, food tastes fresher, as well as emitting less emissions due to lower food miles, all while supporting local suppliers, farmers, producers, communities, and businesses.
Brid O’Connell, CEO of Guaranteed Irish, said: “We are delighted to kick off Food & Drink Month this June, supporting producers throughout the country. Ireland’s food & drink sector is a vital industry which is worth over €2.2bn to the economy, so it’s crucial that we encourage consumers to continue to buy locally sourced products from Irish suppliers each week.
“We know buying local reduces carbon footprint and promotes sustainability, so we are urging more Irish consumers to look out for the Guaranteed Irish ‘G’ when doing their weekly shop which signifies quality, Irish-produced products.”
Ray Kelly, Marketing Director of SuperValu and Centra, added: “Supporting Irish food and drink producers is of the utmost importance to SuperValu and Centra. One of our primary objectives is to ensure that our customers are given the opportunity to support a range of local producers, through the array of Irish products on our shelves. By supporting Irish suppliers, we’re supporting local economies, enabling jobs, while also helping our customers in their endeavours to lead a more sustainable life. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Guaranteed Irish and ensuring that our customers continue to benefit from the quality product that is supplied to us from around Ireland.”
