Six major trends will shape the food industry’s future by 2025 according to London-based independent trend firm The Future Foundation‘s CEO, Christophe Jouan.
1. Enjoy moderately
Consumers still love to spoil themselves with nice food and drinks, but not as copious as before. The developed world is increasingly becoming a “sober society”, according Christophe Jouan. Enjoyment is still important, but more controlled. However, it is still an important marketing tool.
2. Food is fuel and fun
There is a split between people who consider food to be fuel for their body and people who love to eat. The former will be a target audience for food replacement items like Soylent, which meet the body’s daily food requirement. It is still a limited target audience (about 9 % of the population), which means fun and taste are still important.
3. Convenience is a keeper
Convenience will still be a trend then, but it will become healthier. Manufacturers and retailers that engage in the appropriate partnerships with start-ups will see plenty of opportunities according to Jouan. One such example is HelloFresh.
4. New proteins: the arrival of the flexitarian
Meat has come under fire, both from a health stance as from an ecological stance. Science will bring us laboratorium meat, which may arrive in stores within the next decade. Meat sales will slightly drop in the West, but will increase in the emerging markets.
Only 7 % of consumers is a vegetarian or vegan, while 24 % is not planning to lower its meat consumption. That means the majority will keep consuming meat, but they will adopt a more flexible eating pattern with several alternatives for meat.
5. Compensation behaviour will become mainstream
This particular trend is tied to the previous trend: consumers who lower their meat intake, want to eat high-quality meat whenever they do choose to eat meat. Joaun predicts there are major opportunities for businesses there.
6. Additional food benefits
By 2025, food will be associated with its benefits, going beyond its mere nutritional value. Food can influence our mood and can have positive effects on our beauty.
(Source: foodnavigator.com)
