What consumers want

The Center for Food Demand Analysis and Sustainability (CFDAS), led by Jayson Lusk, head and distinguished professor of agricultural economics, launched its monthly Consumer Food Insights report in February, identifying trends and changes in consumer food purchases and preferences. Each month, CFDAS surveys 1,200 households from across the U.S., measuring food security and spending, consumer satisfaction and values, support of agricultural and food policies, and trust in information sources.

Along with the report, Lusk shares summaries of key findings and trends on YouTube. A Consumer Food Insights survey dashboard provides access to data on shopping and eating habits, which can be filtered for specific time frames as well as by demographics like region, education or income level, age and race.

“We are taking a pulse of consumers to help guide farmers and retailers along the food supply chain as we all adapt to changing circumstances,” Lusk says. “Consumers significantly influence the direction of food and agricultural systems, and we need a timely way to track trends in what people are buying and eating, and how this is affected by events like inflation, climate change and COVID-19.”

CFDAS is part of Plant Sciences 2.0, one of Purdue’s Next Moves.