Photo: Artem Beliaikin
By Caity Hall
It is difficult to ignore the call to save the earth that echoed throughout the world in 2019. It was a year that saw the global environmental movement growing and raising its voice like never before. From the increased media presence of figures like Greta Thunberg, to record-breaking climate change protests, to passionate public outrage at natural disasters, it’s clear the people everywhere are taking a (very necessary) interest in environmental sustainability.
More restaurants are recognizing the need to join the sustainability movement and reduce their environmental footprint. Initiatives such as recycling programs, composting, offering more vegetarian/vegan options, or serving only organic coffee or local wine and beer are just a few of the practices businesses have been adopting in an effort to become “greener”. Even restaurant chains like McDonald’s Canada are on what they call a “sustainability journey”, announcing in 2019 the unveiling of two "Green Concept Restaurants" in London, Ontario and Vancouver, BC, designed to act as incubator locations to test new packaging options and recycling initiatives.
Such initiatives are not only important for restaurants to help conserve natural resources, but also to appeal to an ever-increasing market of “green consumers”. This group of consumers are putting their dollars into environmentally sustainable food sources. Take farmers’ markets for example, which allow consumers to buy directly from local food producers – helping reduce the carbon emissions created by food transportation – and to support organic and biodynamic farming. Sales in Ontario are estimated to have increased annually about 10 to 12 percent to about $800 million, while in Manitoba, revenue for individual vendors is up 30 to 35 percent, as reported by Country Guide.
Consumers are also willing to pay more for more sustainable food options. According to a Nielsen report that surveyed 30,000 consumers from different regions, income levels, and categories, approximately three in four Millennials (74 percent) and Generation Z consumers (72 percent) are willing to pay more for sustainable products and services, while 66 percent of overall survey respondents are willing to pay more for sustainable products and services. The report found that consumer brands that demonstrate a commitment to sustainability outperform those that don’t, growing 4 percent globally compared to less than 1 percent.
Restaurant owners may also want to consider how their business values affect staffing. Environmentally responsible values are a great way to help recruit forward-thinking talent, increase employee engagement, and help reduce employee turnover. In the National Environmental Education Foundation’s (NEEF) most recent survey report, Winning in the Marketplace and the Workplace, NEEF concludes that a commitment to sustainability positively impacts nearly all dimensions of traditional employee engagement including alignment, pride, discretionary effort and advocacy of the company. An engaged employee that is proud of where they work is likely to be a more productive worker and to stay with a company longer.
Restaurants that engage in green practices have an opportunity to market themselves as environmentally friendly and meet consumer demands – becoming a green restaurant is not only a good ethical decision, it’s a good business decision. As governments work to meet climate action objectives, and consumer demands for environmental accountability increases, it’s essential for food businesses to make sustainable food practices a priority.