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Survey reveals consumer attitude towards sustainability

The US Farmers and Ranchers Alliance says sustainability in agriculture is a concern for consumers.  USFRA chairwoman Nancy Kavazanjian says a recent survey of shows consumers are interested in what farmers and ranchers are doing on their farms to preserve it for future generations.  “Almost 60 percent of people said that they believe farmers and ranchers today are concerned about the environment and sustainable,” she says.

The survey also showed that women are less like than men to agree that farming and ranching practices are sustainable.

She tells Brownfield farmers need to talk to consumers about how today’s farming practices enable farmers to pass farms on to future generations.  “MY farm was in my husband’s family for 149 years,” she says.  “But it doesn’t look anything like it did back then.  It doesn’t even look like it did 35 years ago when we started farming together.  Our practices have changed.  We’re using technology and we’re using environmental practices to save our soils.”

USFRA surveyed four different groups.  “We talked to millennials and millennial parents,” she says.  “We wanted to see if as millennials become parents if their buying habits changed.  We also talked to consumer connectors – people who are talking a lot about food and general consumers.”

A link to the survey’s results can be found HERE.