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(NAFB) – Consumers are increasingly considering their health and environmental sustainability as they shop for food.

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the trend in the past year, according to a panel of experts participating in Farm Journal Foundation’s Speaker Series. Half of consumers have made changes to what they eat in the past two years to lead a more sustainable lifestyle, according to Michael Hughes of FMCG Gurus.

Hughes says changes to consumption patterns include reducing food waste, eating more local and fresh foods, and making greater attempts to check the sustainability credentials of food companies.

Tina Owens of Danone North America told the panel, “Consumers are looking even more than they were before the pandemic to play activist with their grocery dollars.”

And Christine Daugherty of PepsiCo says consumer brands have a large role to play in driving sustainability. PepsiCo recently unveiled a set of Positive Agriculture goals, which aim to impact seven million acres of farmland and reduce three million tons of greenhouse gas emissions by the end of the decade.