Green is the new black' as Brits turn to ethical food

Latest research from MINTEL finds the move towards buying ethical foods is more than just a flash in the pan. British shoppers are set to spend over £2 billion on ethical foods this year alone, up by a massive 62% since 2002. People in Britain today are clearly moving towards more ethical lifestyles and are starting to realise that their actions all have consequences. As British shoppers increasingly look to shop with a clear conscience, MINTEL forecasts that the market will continue to grow for the foreseeable future. In a country once dominated by a throw away culture, three-quarters (75%) of British now believe that people have a duty to recycle, up from 65% in 2002. Similarly, a third (34%) ‘buy Fairtrade where available’, up from just one in four (26%) in 2002 and two in five (40%) now ‘buy free-range products whenever they can’ (up from 33% in 2002). Where once price was all important, rising disposable income and a generally more affluent society has allowed people to start living up to their ethics and a third of adults now believe it is worth paying more for Fairtrade, organic and locally sourced foods.