In late 2017, Hort Innovation announced the findings from a levy-funded project that investigated the triggers and barriers to consumption of Australian native vegetables and Australian-grown Asian vegetable varieties.

In consultation with Aboriginal custodians, native food specialists and other experts, this project took a deep dive into a selection of vegetables to see what consumers found most appealing.

The findings from this project have previously been published in easy-to-read booklets discussing how to realise the potential of native vegetables and how to realise the potential of Australian-grown Asian vegetables.

The full final report for this project has now been published, with service providers Colmar Brunton breaking down the methodology behind the consumer research that explored how Australians feel about some of the produce that had the most potential.

This report details thorough findings from the consumer research, including notes from the sensory testing performed on several key produce lines. It also offers recommendations for these lines that can be turned into action plans to foster consumer demand.

Overall, the key insights and recommendations covering both native produce and Australian-grown Asian vegetable varieties included:

• Increasing these vegetables’ presence in Australian food service and food manufacturing.
• Trying new ways to teach consumers what sort of sensory experience to expect before they buy the produce.
• Communicating the unique health benefits of each vegetable.
• Working to reach younger consumers, who (as a demographic) are more engaged with these novel varieties.

To view this project’s full final report, click through to the InfoVeg database.

This post appeared in the AUSVEG Weekly Update published 26 February 2019. Subscribe to the Update using our online form to receive the latest industry news in your inbox every week!