How Consumers Perceive Water Sustainability (HydroSOStainable) in Food Products and How to Identify It by a Logo

Abstract

Water is the most essential resource for food production and socioeconomic development worldwide. Currently, industry and agriculture are the most water consuming activities, creating high levels of pollution, and intensifying the scarcity of water especially in arid regions. The term “hydroSOStainable products” has been used to define those foodstuffs grown under irrigation strategies that involve optimized water management. A study to understand how consumers perceive options to save water in the food chain and how to identify the water sustainable products by a logo, was conducted in Brazil, China, India, Mexico, Spain and USA, with 600 consumers per country. In all countries, consumers think that the food categories in which it is possible to save the most water are those linked directly to agricultural products: (i) “grains and grain products” and (ii) “vegetables, nuts and beans”. Also, consumers do not associate processed products, such as snacks, with high water consumption, even though they come from agricultural products such as grains and require more processing. The logo was positively rated by consumers, especially by young generations. There is a need to properly inform consumers about water sustainability to gain their confidence in the hydroSOS logo.