The surveys focused separately on the opinions, attitudes and questions consumers and farmers/ranchers have about the current and future state of how food is grown and raised in the US.
Results reveal that lack of access to information and no interest or passion for the topic, have divided consumer opinion on the direction of agriculture.
Bob Stallman, chairman of USFRA and president of the American Farm Bureau Federation, said: “Americans have a lot of questions about where their food comes from, how it is raised and if it is good for their health long-term. USFRA commissioned two separate surveys to first ask farmers and ranchers what they wished Americans could have more information about where their food comes from.
“We then asked consumers what questions they have on the same topic. The findings of both surveys indicate there is an opportunity for more dialogue between farmers, ranchers and the American public about how food is grown and raised in the US.”
Results of both surveys will be shared and discussed during The Food Dialogues, which is taking place in four US cities and online.
Highlights of the research include:
The purpose of the consumer survey was to ask Americans what additional information they want to learn more about related to how food is grown and raised in the US. The survey revealed that consumers have become disconnected from their food, yet think about the subject regularly.
According to the survey findings:
Consumers also were asked to identify the top five topics they want more information about.
Responses included:
The goal of the farmer/rancher survey was to identify topics that farmers and ranchers wished Americans had more information about when it comes to food and how it is grown and raised in the US.
According to the survey, farmers and ranchers said the top misconception they need to overcome as an industry is that a few ‘bad actors’ are representative of the entire industry. Additionally, farmers and ranchers identified the effect of pesticides, antibiotics and fertilisers on food as the most important priorities they should address when communicating with consumers.
Additional findings included:
When asked which top five topics were most important to educate consumers about, farmers and ranchers responded:
Source: US Farmers & Ranchers Alliance
© FoodBev Media Ltd 2024