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 3, March 2025
Key insights include:
- The Sustainable Food Purchasing (SFP) Index remains steady as consumers’ food purchasing preferences stay consistent.
- The vast majority (84%) of American adults describe the current grocery prices in their area as “high” with general inflation to blame.
- 26% of consumers say they switched to cheaper brands in the past 12 months compared to 20% who said the same back in May 2024.
- 44% of households plan to participate in home food production, with vegetable and fruit gardening being the most popular activity.
- Over 40% of rural households cite food security/preparedness as a main reason for producing food relative to 20% of urban households.
- Rural households spend around $20 less on food than urban households; a little over 20% rely on SNAP to supplement their diets.
Survey Questionnaire: March 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.