Source:  Ann Bagel Storck, MEATINGPLACE.COM, 3/4/10

Sixty-nine percent of respondents to a survey by San Francisco-based marketing communications firm Context Marketing said they will pay more for "ethically produced" foods.

"Ethical" is a broad term when consumers apply it to food purchases, according to Bob Kenney, Context Marketing principal. He noted in a news release that when asked to identify what they meant by "ethical food," more than 90 percent of respondents identified three main qualities: protects the environment, meets high quality and safety standards and treats farm animals humanely.

According to the survey, 69 percent of respondents said they will pay more for food produced to higher ethical standards. Of this total, 57 percent are willing to pay up to a 10 percent premium for ethical food, and 12 percent say they will pay even more. Many consumers also said they are more loyal to food brands they see as ethically produced and are more likely to recommend them to others.

Context Marketing conducted the survey online in January among 600 adults ages 20 to 64, equally representing men and women living in major U.S. markets.

To read the full report, click here. 

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