Consumers significantly influence the direction of food and agricultural systems. The Center for Food Demand Analysis and Sustainability (CFDAS) is taking a monthly pulse on what consumers are thinking, what they can afford and what food attributes are most important to them to better guide farmers and retailers along the supply chain.
Consumer Food Insights, Volume 4, Issue 2: February 2025
Key insights include:
- Affordability plays a larger role in grocery purchasing decisions than taste and nutrition among those earning less than $50k annually.
- Many consumers express concern about the healthfulness of processed foods but tend to include them in their usual basket of groceries.
- Convenience, price and taste preference were the top reasons consumers say one might choose processed over unprocessed foods.
- Poor diets are more common among the lowest earning group, though higher incomes do not necessarily lead to much healthier diets.
- Many American households earning less than $50k report being food insecure (42%), driving the overall food insecurity rate (14.6%).
Survey Questionnaire: February 2025
Formulas and Calculations
Past Consumer Food Insights
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW ABOUT CONSUMERS?
If you are interested in additional analysis or adding questions to the survey, consider joining our Consumer Insights consortium. Contact rdevans@purdue.edu to learn more.