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Food production in Austria: Where is the awareness of buyers?
The article highlights the work of "Land Creates Life", an association that was founded in 2014 to provide information about food production and its effects. Founders Hannes Royer and Maria Fanninger explain how consumer awareness has changed over the last ten years and emphasize the need for transparency and mandatory origin labeling.
Food production in Austria: Where is the awareness of buyers?
In a dramatic call for responsibility, the founders of the “Land Creates Life” association, Hannes Royer and Maria Fanninger, point out the alarming discrepancy between consumers’ wishes and their actual purchasing behavior. “We are a hypocritical society,” said Royer, while pointing to the bankruptcy of Norbert Hackl’s “Labonca” organic farm. Despite increasing demand for organically produced food, reality shows that only 4% of Austrian pig production is organic, with consumer demand even lower than expected. In 2023, general organic consumption was only 1.4%, while the majority is exported to Berlin, according to Royer in a recent report on food consumption in Austria, as published by Small newspaper reported.
The association, which has been providing comprehensive information about food, its origin and the impact on the environment and health since it was founded in 2014, emphasizes the need for a change in awareness among consumers. Despite the informative work, many people are still unaware that their purchasing decisions place direct production orders. This reality is reinforced by the high level of household food waste: 800 euros worth of food is thrown away every year. Fanninger highlights that 70% of our decisions are made subconsciously and 90% are made emotionally, highlighting the complexity of purchasing behavior. There is a loud demand for mandatory labeling of origin and husbandry MyDistrict an important measure to promote transparency and quality in the food trade.
Criticism of consumer purchasing behavior
Despite calls for more ethical consumption, retail structures appear to be encouraging the trend towards low-cost offerings. Figures from 2023 show that 44% of meat purchases in Austria take place during special promotions, while products such as beer and coffee are disproportionately sold in promotions. This shows how deeply rooted the price discussion is in purchasing decisions, which Royer says undermines massive investments in animal welfare initiatives when consumers ultimately reach for the cheapest prices.
In total, every Austrian consumes 1.5 tons of food every year, but the big question remains whether the increasing desire for ethically produced products will actually lead to a rethinking of purchasing behavior. The founders remain optimistic that increased education and more transparent information about products can lead to better awareness and higher quality food in the long term, but emphasize that the ultimate responsibility lies with consumers themselves.