The USDA reported that over the last half-century American consumers became “conspicuous consumers of sugar and sweet-tasting foods and beverages.”

Per capita consumption of caloric sweeteners increased 43 pounds, or 39%, between 1950-59 and 2000, when Americans consumed an average 152 pounds of caloric sweeteners each, only 3 pounds below 1999’s record average of 155 pounds.

What will the upcoming 2010 report show? Will green awareness and healthier eating habits cut the rise of sweet consumption—or make no difference at all?

One thing is certain, US consumers are tightening their belts and cutting back.

According to “The Harris Poll,” conducted by Harris Interactive, people are increasingly doing a number of small things to save money. For instance, they are cutting media consumption, canceling magazine, newspaper and cable TV subscriptions.

The main reasons for the changes in consumption patterns are economic, but as a result consumers are behaving in more environmentally friendly ways.

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The “Consumers Attitudes and Perceptions on Sustainability” study, released by Guardian Sustainable Business, found women champion Fairtrade products more than men.

Almost half of women are very concerned about Fairtrade issues, compared to only 27% of men.

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No wonder consumers are confused.

According to research conducted by the World Resources Institute, Duke University and Big Room Inc. there are over 600 eco-labels worldwide—80 in the US alone—spread across a variety of categories.

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Warning to food producers: Be kind to animals.

A survey conducted by Mintel found that animal welfare was more important to UK consumers than foods’ origins or organic certification.

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A debate is currently raging in the food packaging industry over the safety of bisphenol A, known as BPA, an element in the lining of many canned goods.

Chemical manufacturing and packaging companies claim BPA is not only safe, it is necessary to protect food from metal can corrosion and bacterial contamination. On the other hand, health professionals and environmental advocates argue that scientific studies have uncovered health issues associated with BPA exposure.

The “No Silver Lining” report, released by the Michigan-based Ecology Center and the National Work Group for Safe Markets, a coalition of public health and environmental health groups, comes down firmly on the con side of the can debate.

Testing cans of food from 19 US states and one Canadian province, researchers detected BPA in 46, or 92%, of the canned food sampled.

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Despite a spate of food recalls and product contaminations, including E. coli and salmonella scares, the “Consumer Food Safety Survey,” from Deloitte, found that although US consumers are less worried about the food they eat, the majority—65%—are still concerned.

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The number of farmers markets in the US grew over 300% in the last 15 years—23% from 2008 to 2009.

According to the the “Organic Market Report 2010,” from the Soil Association, last year sales of organic products in the UK fell for the first time.

In 2009, sales were £1,840 million, down 12.9% from a record high of £2,113 million the year prior.

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Has the recession dulled US consumers’ enthusiasm for green products?

According to the green living report from Mintel, only momentarily.

Tracking the “Healthy Products, Healthy Planet” (HP2) market from 2005 to 2009, Mintel found growth of 41%.

But beginning in 2008, the recession obviously had an impact, slowing growth considerably in all green product categories.

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According to the “2010 Consumer Survey Report” from the National Grocers Association (NGA) consumer interest in locally produced food products is running high—higher than organic.

In fact, 83% of customers say the presence of local food at their grocery stores is important to them, compared to 62% who say the same about organic products.

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According to the “2010 Consumer Survey Report” from the National Grocers Association (NGA), one in five US shoppers would like to see more organic products on supermarket shelves.

This trend is more pronounced for shoppers who spend more on groceries. Roughly half, 49%, of shoppers who spend over $101 per week say carrying organic products is “very important”—compared to only 19% of shoppers whose shopping budget is between $81 and $101 per week.

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