THERE'S a "sea change" occurring in Australia's eating and consumer habits, and it boasts great opportunities for local farmers, according to research done by Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA).
Many farmers might think today's consumer is time poor, price driven and wants quick and easy modern meals.
But new research has proven consumers aren't turning to the microwave and they're not eating lots of takeaway or highly processed foods – they're eating meat, and heaps of it, and fresh vegies.
What's more, consumers are taking pride in preparing it at home.
This new research also suggests that the health and welfare of consumers and their families was the number one priority when shopping for food, and environmental and animal welfare considerations only ranked on the consumer consciousness when there is extra money in their pockets.
MLA's marketing manager, David Thomason, told last week's National Farmers Federation Congress in Brisbane that more people were spending quality time preparing fresh meals and enjoying them at the family table most nights of the week.
This is good news for farmers, he says, but he warns they must remain focussed in the competition for consumers' time and eating habits by providing them with "choice".
"Consumers are not time poor, they have 24 hours, just like the rest of us," Mr Thomason said last week.
"It's what they choose to do with it that matters.
"If people aren't spending their time buying, preparing and enjoying great quality food, we're not encouraging them to do that.
"Other people, other activities are doing a better job of competing for that time."
But, at least for the time being anyway, it seems farmers have one that competition over what consumers eat, with the research data proving consumers are buying more fresh food, they're more conscious about what they eat, and they are driven by good "value" food rather than a sole fixation on price.
"Rather than being driven by price, our research is proving consumers are actually driven by value, which is as an equation of perceived benefits over price," he said.
"If we want to see high prices for our produce – and of course we do – then we've got to ensure the consumers perceive high benefits."
Mr Thomason said increasingly consumers are going back to the dinner table and sharing their meals.
"Last night. 68 per cent of Australian families sat around the dinner table as a family.
"They're enjoying cooking again.
"This has been a trend which has been growing over three and four years now.
"Australians are more conscious about what they eat, and in home's the new out of home."
He says it's not just because of a recession that suddenly Australians were walking away from restaurants, but rather a trend that has been apparent and emerging for more than three years now.
"We're buying more fresh food, and it's not just older people that are buying fresh – young people – gen x and gen y – and everyone's spending more (in these areas)," he said.
"We're also enjoying traditional meals. They're not new age, new tech.
"For last night's meal, for 72 per cent of us it was freshly prepared at home.
"Pre-cooked, pre-prepared was only seven per cent and frozen food (bought at the shops) was only two per cent.
"Takeaway or home delivered only eight per cent."
So what were Australian's eating?
It was "meat and veg", according to Mr Thomason.
"Most went for traditional meat and veg – like steak and chops. Another nine per cent had roast and veg.
"The top 10 meals that we as Australians had last night were essentially fresh.
"…more than 60 per cent of those meals took more than half an hour to prepare and 25 per cent took over an hour to prepare."
While Mr Thomason says there has been a message put out that consumers reduce their meat consumption so they could eat more vegetables, 92 per cent of fresh cooked meals at home each week contain greens.
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