Green Club meeting: innovation and education to prevent a catastrophe

By: Trademagazin editor Date: 2024. 03. 08. 11:41

December’s meeting of the Green Chapter of the Hungarian Marketing Association (MMSZ) was another Green Club event, this time at Real Nature’s modern and smart green headquarters.

This article is available for reading in Trade magazin 2024/2-3

Tünde Turcsán
managing director
Consumer Panel GfK

Tünde Turcsán, managing director of Consumer Panel GfK was the first presenter, using data from the company’s survey conducted in June 2023. She told that many consumers are interested in the topic of sustainability, but only few people are searching for new information about it. The good news is that in relation to the food industry, the majority (around 80%) highlighted food waste prevention and waste reduction as the most important tasks. However, 53% of consumers said environmentally friendly packaging is important to them, but only 32% pay attention to this when shopping.

Price takes it all

Owing to the drastic price increases, shoppers want to save money. Sustainability (and, to a lesser extent, healthy eating) is becoming less important. Initially there has been a shift towards cheaper products, but since October 2022 volume reduction has dominated. In terms of dietary habits, many consumers don’t associate health consciousness with sustainability – even if there are many links between the two. At the end of the day price wins, so economising now comes at the expense of healthy eating. Demand for alternatives is also driven by price, naturalness is important, but being organic is less so – it is viewed as an expensive fashion. In 2023 only 32% of consumers said they were willing to pay more for healthier products.

Quality is more important than quantity

Éva de Gereczné Rudnai
head of procurement and marketing
Real Nature

Éva de Gereczné Rudnai, head of procurement and marketing at Real Nature Kft. (they distribute Joya, Good Milk, Lunter and many other products) spoke with pride about their carbon-neutral, solar-powered headquarters and the high-tech, sustainable factories where their products are manufactured.

She pointed out: many people have a misguided, negative view of product packaging, but packaging is also a way of promoting sustainability if the products have a longer shelf life because of it. Real Nature uses recycled plastic bottles for the majority of their products (rePet bottles). Joya and Happy plant-based drinks and plant-based yogurts have always been sold in environmentally friendly packaging.

Cells don’t lie

Dr. Erzsébet Némedi
biotechnologist and
food industry engineer

The third speaker of the meeting was Dr Erzsébet Némedi, biotechnologist and food industry engineer who also has a PhD in Food Science. She told that our cells are built from what we eat and the majority of diseases are lifestyle-related. This fact makes it clear how important consumer education is. Professionals have a great responsibility to explain the importance of different nutrients. We can also witness so-called “quality starvation” in the world – this means the consumption of empty calories, which doesn’t give nutrients to the body, so it is constantly starving for them, and this can lead to obesity and other problems. However, once the body gets quality nutrients, the feeling of hunger starts to go away. The gut flora can be taught to eat healthily, it may take months but it is worth it. Any nutrient can cause deficiencies if you don’t have enough of it and can be toxic if you have too much. There are no “harmful” foods, just inadequate amounts, e.g. many people are against macronutrients (proteins, fats, carbohydrates) even though our bodies need them. //