I met many passionate influencers while manning a booth at ShiftCon, a conference for the top health and wellness influencers. These social media influencers aren’t followers. They want to do more than share an easy recipe or the latest face cream. And according to the survey I conducted at the ChecktheFactsReportTheNews.org booth, this group is well versed in nutrition and sustainability. In fact, I think their answers may reveal what the greater society will be thinking next year about what to put in their shopping carts.
Survey cards were freely available at my booth at the conference exhibition center. It’s obvious that clean and green labels are important to most of those who completed the card.
- 88% reported that they always or usually think about a product’s environmental impact
- 78% reported that they always or usually choose products that support family farmers
- 91% reported that a product’s country of origin is important to them
- 100% wanted to learn more about sustainable ingredients
- 92% reported that they always or usually choose products that are non-GMO
- 92% reported that they always or usually choose products that are certified organic
I found it fascinating that 50% reported always choosing non-GMO while only 37.5% report always choosing certified organic. This mirrors other studies that have shown how important non-GMO ingredients are to consumers. That said, in the 2019 International Food Information Council and Foundation study, less than 30% reported regularly purchasing non-GMO foods and even a smaller percentage reported regularly purchasing organic. The ShiftCon attendees were clearly leading the charge here and are likely a glimpse into the future.
ShiftCon attendees’ knowledge of nutrition and sustainability also caught my eye.
- 25% of survey respondents reported that they limit saturated fat because it may lead to heart disease.
That means 75% know the saturated fat should be a part of a healthy diet. The tide is finally changing and that’s good for the health of our society. Click here to watch my presentation on this topic and learn why insulin resistance needs to be on your radar. <link>
- 45% of those surveyed reported that livestock and soybeans are the top drivers of deforestation in our world.
That’s true; livestock is by far the largest driver of deforestation. Soy is second, followed by corn. This group isn’t falling for the hype that palm oil, a product which is being vilified despite the facts, is the leading cause of rainforest loss.
There’s still work to do because 23% blamed wood products and palm oil. I’m confident that the truth will come out because many influencers I met want to know the truth and share it with their communities. That’s why in my presentation <link> and at my table, I shared information from CheckTheFactReportTheNews.org, a website that cuts through the hype and emotional claims about palm oil and shares third-party facts.
