Sustainability food trends overview
- Climate hero ingredients gain popularity through nutrition and resilience benefits
- Alternative cocoa and coffee products grow as climate pressures increase
- Consumers increasingly demand transparency, proof and sustainability-related accountability
- Sustainable packaging remains influential, with market growth forecasts strengthening
- Climate-changed wellness drives demand for cool and hydration-focused products
Sustainability in food is under significant pressure.
While many consumers are aware of the threat posed by climate change, and some feel it deeply, they are also under pressure from the cost-of-living crisis. With food prices high, consumers often prioritise immediate needs over more abstract sustainability benefits.
Nevertheless, not all sustainability-linked food trends are seeing a downturn. Which ones are seeing success?
1. Climate hero ingredients
There is growing interest in climate hero ingredients such as sorghum, fonio and moringa, according to Jennifer Creevy, content director for food and drink at trend forecasting company WGSN.
These climate hero ingredients are both resilient to climate change and highly nutritious.
“Consumers are steering towards ‘good for me, good for the planet’ and these ingredients really fit into that,” says Creevy.
Food companies are both adding these ingredients to their supply chains, and to packaged food and drink across categories.
2. Ingredient alternatives
As rising temperatures put major ingredients such as cocoa and coffee under pressure, the market for alternatives grows.
This is particularly true for alt-cocoa: several major companies, including Nestlé, Mars, Mondelēz International, Barry Callebaut and Lindt have embraced alternatives for chocolate, ranging from different ingredients to cultivated versions.
The alt-coffee segment is also growing, with several start-ups developing alternatives to the belaboured bean.
“What started with things like beanless coffee, cacao-free chocolate and grape-free options is really spreading,” says WGSN’s Creevy. “While coming from a small base, these innovations are gaining traction and consumer awareness.”
3. Transparency
One thing that consumers care about is transparency, explains Michele Scott, director of insights at consumer analytics company Innova Market Insights.
Consumers want sustainability practices to be clear. They want to know if a brand is working towards sustainability, and they want proof of related claims.
Fifty-seven per-cent of consumers Innova surveyed said that transparency was extremely or very important.
Specifically, 28% wanted to know about support for local farmers, 25% about improved product quality and 23% about animal welfare.
4. Sustainable packaging
Consumers still care about sustainable packaging. According to consumer analytics company Statista, around 75% of European consumers choose recycled, less attractive packaging, and more than 60% consider whether said packaging is eco-friendly.
“When it comes to sustainable practices, many consumers consider sustainable or recyclable packaging an important element of being environmentally conscious,” says Sára Pálfy, insights analyst at Statista.
According to market research company Mordor Intelligence, the sustainable packaging market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.29% between 2026 and 2031, and be worth $463.41bn (€538.2bn) by 2031.
5. Climate-changed wellness
While not strictly speaking a sustainability trend, climate-changed wellness is more about how consumers are adapting to changing temperatures, explains WGSN’s Creevy.
“For those regions that are experiencing higher and more sustained periods of heat, there is a need for food and drink to help them cope and be more resilient.”
This includes cooling food and drink, such as cold noodles, that consumers have been inspired to choose from Asian cuisine, originating in countries where average temperatures are hotter.
Other wellness-based food and drink, such as efficient hydration drinks, can also help consumers cope with higher temperatures.
