Abstract
We conducted a population-based survey of food shopping attitudes and habits to inform efforts to expand market access for New England farms. Our findings can be generalized to the adult population of New England. This research brief shares insights from our survey question asking respondents to indicate how important a series of food attributes are to their everyday food purchasing decisions (response options included “not important”, “neutral”, or “important”). Our findings show that over 70% of New Englanders say food that they like, is "tasty," "high quality" and "healthy" are important to them. The majority (78%) of New Englanders say food that is "affordable" is important to them, while SNAP eligibility is important to 25%. About half say food that "supports fair wages," is "sustainable," and "local" are important to them. A third say food that is "organic" and "grown on a small or family farm" is important to them. Just 21% say knowing the grower is important to them. Our main takeaway is that emphasizing tasty, high quality, healthy, and affordable could help farmers appeal to a majority of New Englanders in their marketing messages.
Department
Department of Agriculture, Nutrition, and Food Systems
Publication Date
2025
Subject
Direct marketing guidance for New England farmers
Grant/Award Number and Agency
USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Agriculture & Food Research Initiative (AFRI), Award #110394
Language
English
Document Type
Report
Link to Full Text URL
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5d9b636f813a3d3a41793101/t/6837355e2c8df1000479d0dc/1748448608524/AFRI+Research+Brief+1_5-9-2025.pdf
Recommended Citation
Cindy (Luyue) Zheng, Olivia Burton, Hannah Stokes-Ramos, Jess Carson, Isaac Leslie, and Analena Bruce. What Do New Englanders Prioritize When Purchasing Food? 2025.