Brenntag's Food & Nutrition segment specialists foresee 'conscious consumerism' as prevailing trend in global food & beverage industry in 2024 and beyond; sustainability and affordability both to become important factors in consumer choices

2024 the year of the ‘conscious consumer’

Our Food & Nutrition specialists predict that in 2024 and beyond, conscious consumerism - the practice of mindfully and intentionally buying and using products as a statement of values - will be the top global food & beverage industry trend.

We have leveraged all of our research resources - customer and supplier insights, ingredient performance data, country-specific application experience, product launch activity scanning and market research - to pinpoint the trends that will drive consumer preferences across the globe in 2024. This exercise has revealed that consumers are moving away from ‘passive consumption’ and putting themselves in the driving seat when it comes to deciding which food choices to make and which brands to support.

Conscious consumers make informed decisions that align with their values and priorities, as Joanna Self, Americas Strategic Marketing Director at Brenntag, explains: “Conscious consumerism is about people being aware of what they are buying; they want the information they need to be able to make informed choices and they want to feel as though they are in control, that it is their choice that they have made as a reflection of their knowledge, beliefs and priorities,” she says.

In order to resonate with the conscious consumer, brands have to be transparent and honest on every level. “Consumers expect complete clarity and transparency from brands in every respect - from traceability and sustainability to a label that gives them a clear understanding of what is inside the product. This information is crucial in helping them make conscious decisions,”says Dr Nadia D’Incecco, EMEA Strategic Marketing Director at Brenntag.

Eco-, health- and budget-conscious

Making sustainable choices is, of course, a major part of this mindset, but it is not the only motivation. Alongside sustainability, we have identified two further trends that are of growing importance to conscious consumers. With the current cost of living crisis, affordability is a definite consideration, and personal health & wellness is another top priority as people seek out products that fulfil a desire for self-preservation.

“The key for food & beverage manufacturers is to figure out which values are important to its target audiences and leverage these through innovation, reformulation and communication with consumers,”notes Sherlyn Sim, APAC Strategic Marketing Director at Brenntag.

Flexing with the flow

The concept of the conscious consumer is a state of mind, and the value sets that govern decision making are fluid rather than fixed. Whilst sustainability, health and affordability are what consumers want today, the reality is that priorities change and trade-offs are sometimes necessary.

“One of the major advantages of working with Brenntag is that we have the scale and breadth to offer full flexibility. Across all geographic locations, our distribution infrastructure coupled with a complete range of specialty food ingredients and our formulation capabilities in our Innovation & Application Centers, empowers us to assist our customers in developing food products adapted to the market conditions and trends,” says Michiel Van Genugten, Vice President Global Strategic Marketing & Value Added Solutions at Brenntag.

Sustainability, health and affordability are global trends, but harnessing these macro-trends to reach conscious consumers will require a sharper, region-specific approach. Drawing on insights from Brenntag Food & Nutrition’s in-market specialists, in the coming series of articles we will look at how these trends are playing out at a regional level and can be translated into the foods and beverages of tomorrow.