Changing Food Habits: Conflicted Consumers Greendex Segment

Segmenting the Market Using the 2014 Greendex Data

This is the third in a series of four short articles that examine the potential for more sustainable consumer behavior within the food category. Again, we draw on the Greendex 2014 study of consumers in 18 countries, conducted with National Geographic, to mine for insights to help governments, companies and NGOs unlock further change.
Our first installation of the series described the “Moveable Masses” segment, largest of the five groups that our analysis has identified. The second installation presented a snapshot of the “Motivated Greens” segment, the most environmentally driven group of consumers. This week we will explore the “Conflicted” category of consumers.

Greendex Conflicted Consumers Segment

“Conflicted” consumers make up a smaller proportion than the two segments we looked at before, with 17 percent of consumers in the 18 countries studied. This group already show somewhat environmentally responsible eating habits (e.g., they consume relatively low levels of beef or fish and seafood) and they say they want to improve further, but at the same time they lack motivation and environmental concern compared to other segments.
“Conflicted” consumers tend to feel unable to make a difference as individuals to improve the environment, and also say they lack information about how to eat in a more environmentally sustainable way. Most feel it is not worth the extra cost to buy more sustainably produced food. At the same time, however, their environmental footprint from food consumption is already relatively modest.

Read More in the Greendex Series

Greendex Infographic

The infographic below is intended to help us better understand this segment. (click to enlarge)
greendex

click to enlarge