A RECENT YouGov consumer omnibus survey conducted on behalf of owners of the Lake District Creamery at Aspatria, First Milk, has shown that three-quarters (76 percent) of consumers are concerned about climate change, with almost one-third (29 percent) taking environmental factors into account when choosing food.

The survey, conducted in late March 2021, showed 76 percent of UK adults concerned about climate change in general; 29 percent of UK adults take the overall impact on the environment into consideration when buying food; 33 percent of UK adults think that farming and the production of dairy foods significantly contributes to climate change; 46 percent of UK adults think rearing of animals for meat consumption significantly contributes to climate change; 37 percent of UK adults think food waste significantly contributes to climate change.

When it comes to dairy consumption, 94 percent of UK adults said they purchased dairy products for themselves or others, although this figure declined to 78 percent in 18-24-year-olds. The purchase of dairy products was highest in Northern Ireland (98 percent) and lowest in London (86 percent). More than three-quarters of UK adults would most prefer to buy milk and dairy products guaranteed to come from cows that have access to pasture/the outdoors (78 percent), with almost two-thirds (63 percent) saying they are concerned about the welfare of dairy cows in the UK.

Mark Brooking, Sustainability Director, First Milk, said: “At First Milk, these findings simply strengthen our commitment to our First4Milk programme, which guarantees cows have access to grazing, and commits us to achieving net zero by 2040 at the latest.”