What does our Adaptive Appetites trend mean for food and drink brands?

Food and drink businesses are going to have to adapt, innovate and iterate to navigate continuing uncertainty. In much the same way that the coronavirus pandemic ushered in a wave of unprecedented digital acceleration, supply chain disruption and the cost-of-living crisis are driving fast-paced change across the food and drink sector, from a greater focus on local produce to the scaling up of regenerative farming practices and the rise of frugal food influencers. 

Brands should be focused on the two Rs: Resources and Resourcefulness. Resources – because food resources are becoming increasingly scarce. With the Russian invasion of Ukraine – the world’s fifth largest exporter of wheat – disrupting annual sowing, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that 2023’s harvest could be halved. At the same time, farmers around the world are using less fertiliser as prices soar – up 30% in 2022 on top of 80% rises in 2021, according to the World Bank. Countries heavily dependent on fertiliser imports such as Brazil and others in the LATAM region have been particularly hard hit. 

Food and drink brands should also be mindful of consumers’ Resourcefulness. Global food prices were up by 8% in October 2022 compared with the 2021 average (source: FAO), and frugal influencers and initiatives are emerging with fresh relevance. Thai TikToker Phattaradej ‘Top’ Luechai went viral in September 2022 by sharing videos of his pared-back food shopping and cooking with his 100,000 followers of mostly middle-class Thais. In Germany, supermarket group Edeka launched a food waste prevention initiative to make customers aware of the extent of the issue and help them get the most out of the items they buy.