April 7, 2021  |  Expertise

Buying Local Food Trends: Consumers are Ripe for the Picking

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COVID-19 has solidified the trend toward healthier food choices, as Americans take stock of their overall health and spend more time cooking at home.

Eating fresh produce has always been considered an essential part of a healthy diet, and in 2020, sales of nutrient-rich products such as citrus, leafy greens and berries increased faster than other produce items.

According to a study by Forager, 96% of consumers say they feel locally grown and produced food is the freshest, healthiest and most nutritious food available. And 93% of Americans believe grocers have an important role to play in supporting local farmers and food producers.

The urge to buy local has steadily grown for many years, and COVID-19 hyper-charged that trend. Today, more consumers have experienced farmersā€™ markets and direct sales of fruit, vegetables, beef and other proteins.

Outdoor activities such as U-pick farms became a popular escape from cities during the pandemic, and agritourism is on the rise with a market size estimated to reach $62,982.6 million by 2027 (a CAGR of 13.4% from 2021 to 2027)*.

In the past year, our Georgia Grown agritourism campaigns drove more conversions than ever, and our comfort foods delivered campaign resulted in record-breaking website traffic to a shop local database that supported hundreds of local businesses.

Buying locally grown products keeps our body, mind and communities strong. In the wake of COVID-19, agribusinesses have a powerful story to tell, and consumers are ripe for the picking.

*Source: Global Agritourism Market (2021 to 2027) – ResearchAndMarkets.com (yahoo.com)

 


 

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