As a mainstay of confectionery, chocolate products face deep-rooted sustainability challenges caused by historically poor infrastructure, climate change, and deforestation. Consumers are regularly faced with difficult decisions about whether and which confectionery products are ethical to buy.
To better understand consumer perceptions around sustainability in general and confectionery specifically, we surveyed more than 500 representative adults in the USA. The full set of results can be downloaded in our detailed report, Sustainability: The 2024 Shopper Insights Report. Let’s start with a few key shopper insights from the report:
- 28% of consumers say they regularly eat organic food
- 29% say that brand name is the best indication of quality
- 64% say when shopping, price is the most important element they consider
And when consumers consider sustainable confectionery, they recognize that:
- natural (31%) and organic (16%) ingredients are important
- recyclable packaging is important (20%)
- choosing ethically sourced sustainable confectionery is important (16%)
Together, these facts illustrate several broad purchase drivers consumers have in relation to confectionery.
Deliciously ethical confectionery ingredients
Shoppers buy chocolates and candies because these delicious treats serve as comfort, rewards, and simple pleasures for both children and adults. Nearly one in five consumers say that sustainable confectionery needs to taste as good as conventional products. In addition to taste though, consumers want confectionery ingredients that are natural (31%), organic (27%), and ethically sourced (16%).
Confectionery companies take great care to ensure their customers notice these types of ingredient claims, and consumers are familiar with broad claims like All Natural (68%), Certified Organic (67%), and Fair Trade (61%). However, consumers are much less familiar with specific certifications like Ecocert (17%), 1% for the Planet (23%) or GMP Certified (27%). Companies that want consumers to notice and understand these specific types of claims will need to engage in more educational outreach, perhaps via improved in-store signage and plain language on their websites.
As one of the top confectionery companies, Mondelez has created a number of sustainability goals that support high-quality, great-tasting ingredients in their products including cocoa, wheat, dairy, and palm oil. For example, they are on track to have 100% of the cocoa volume for their chocolate brands sourced through the Cocoa Life sustainability program by 2025. And, they are working towards 100% cage-free eggs by 2025, and sourcing their dairy supply from suppliers with formal animal welfare standards.
Ethically grounded cocoa processes
Beyond great tasting and ethical ingredients, some consumers value confectionery grounded in processes that are ethical for workers and farmers in the USA as well as other countries where the key ingredients are produced.
For example, 16% of consumers want to support farmers’ livelihood, 15% say it’s important to have fair trade sourcing of products and ingredients, and 13% want environmentally sustainable sourcing including the conservation of energy and water.
Hershey has stepped up to ensure that their processes reflect consumer demands for ethical sustainability. After tracking their progress over the years, they can now report several key accomplishments. For example, by 2020, 100% of their cocoa was independently verified. And, by 2025, they aim to have 100% sourcing visibility in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, and 100% of their farmers mapped to improve traceability and monitor deforestation.
Recycled and reduced confectionery packaging
As one of the most visible nods to sustainability, confectionery package designs can take many forms. Among others, manufacturers can choose from biodegradable and eco-friendly paper, moisture and temperature-resistant aluminum foil, and compostable and edible materials like sugar, gum, or vegetable oil.
Broadly, consumers are more focused on broad packaging claims. For instance, people value packaging that is recycled (32%), eco-friendly (29%), and made without plastic (24%) as opposed to specific criteria like post-consumer product (12%), corrugated paper (11%), or glass (5%)
However, when consumers specifically consider sustainability within confectionery, their primary packaging consideration is recyclable (20%) and minimal (18%), followed by reusable (14%) and compostable (11%).
Nestle’s sustainable packaging strategy of creating a waste-free future directly addresses these desires. Currently, 84% of their plastic packaging is recyclable, reusable, or compostable, and 42% is made from recycled or renewable materials. They are also reducing their use of virgin plastic by removing unnecessary accessories, layers, and films. With their “one ton in, one ton out,” Nestle’s vision that none of their packaging ends up in landfills or as litter is on track with consumer demand.
Summary
In the confectionery industry, acting on sustainability is key for recovering from the historical environmental degradation associated with cocoa and sugar production. Companies that want to create long-term shopper loyalty that drives sales must adopt and genuinely embrace sustainable practices.
To better understand how your customers envision sustainability initiatives and packaging alternatives in your category, get in touch with the shopper insights experts at Explorer Research. We have the deep knowledge and tools to help you understand your shoppers, and ultimately build a stronger path to purchase.
To learn more about consumer perceptions of sustainability, please download the full set of results, Sustainability: The 2024 Shopper Insights Report.
Note: In March 2024, 520 adults across the USA completed a 10-minute self-administered questionnaire. As with all non-probability samples using access panels, margin of error cannot be calculated and the results are subject to both sampling and non-sampling error.
