Young people's attitudes towards food, their needs and values are not necessarily the same as those of older people, but young people today are the consumers of the future.
This autumn, an interesting series of workshops was held where students at the University level and the Icelandic food industry were brought together. The workshops focused on the current pattern of communication and the provision of information to the industry to consumers and the aim was to support the dialogue of the food industry with the consumers of the future. The workshops raised questions such as "What does the next generation of consumers want to know about food and the value chain of food?", "What are their food values" and "How is information and knowledge enhanced best communicated to them?"
The project was carried out by Matís' research and innovation team under the direction of Kolbrún Sveinsdóttir, in collaboration with researchers under the direction of Anna Sigríður Ólafsdóttir at the School of Education at the University of Iceland. The project was carried out in four European countries (UK, Poland, Finland and Iceland). The workshops were part of a larger project funded by the European Union (within EIT FOOD) and the project is called WeValueFood and is managed by the Institute for Global Food Security, Queen's University Belfast. The purpose of WeValueFood involves finding ways to increase the understanding and empowerment of young people's attitudes so that they understand the value and value of food and become more aware of food in a wider context.
Kolbrún Sveinsdóttir from Matís led discussions with students. Students who took part in the workshops placed great emphasis on the environmental impact of food, but transparency and honesty are key to a positive image and trust in food producers. They want to see more about how food in Iceland is produced, whether on social media, websites of food companies or with food labels.
The results show that young people want to know more about how food is produced and no less what is involved in the production process from A to Z. The information that young people call for includes confirmed information on everything from origin and eco-labels to cooking and storage instructions, but also information on why plastic is used in packaging, for example.
It is clear that the next generation of consumers wants to see their food value reflected in the foods they choose. Among the values associated with food, environmental protection and opposition to food waste were prominent. In order for young consumers to be able to arrange their purchases in line with their needs and values, transparency and good access to information are needed.
The workshops created an interesting dialogue between students and the food producer, which provided important insights for both consumers and the food industry. It is important to follow the workshops and strengthen the conversation and information flow between consumers and producers to meet the needs of future consumers.