Are Inflation-Weary Consumers Growing Their Own Food?

(Source: Purdue University’s Center for Food Demand Analysis and Sustainability)

As growing season arrives in more parts of the United States, new market research shows that more people may be gardening to balance out their food spending. According to a survey from Purdue University’s Center for Food Demand Analysis and Sustainability (CFDAS), 84% of consumers describe grocery prices in their area as “high” and 44% say they currently produce or plan to produce their own food.

Most households that are supplementing grocery purchases with homegrown foods will tend to their own mini crops. The most popular production activity is fruit and vegetable gardening, cited by 82% of survey respondents.

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Typically depending on where consumers reside and their living space, other food production activities are in the mix as inflation remains elevated. “One-third of households that produce their own food have or plan to have egg-laying hens,” reported Joseph Balagtas, professor of agricultural economics at Purdue, director of CFDAS and lead author of the report. “With the ongoing egg shortage caused by avian flu, administering this question in future months could give us insight into whether more consumers are turning to producing their own eggs to fulfill their demand.”