In a new survey by the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance, a public-relations arm of the Farm Bureau and commodity groups, fewer than half of respondents agreed with the statement, “The way that most of today’s farming and ranching operations in the U.S. grow and raise food meets the standards of sustainability.” On Wednesday Agweb published the results of the survey, saying USFRA aims to “engage in dialogue with consumers who have questions about how today’s food is grown and raised.”
The new survey centered on the perception consumers have of the environmental impact of agriculture, and what they expect from farmers in terms of stewardship. In 1990, Congress defined “sustainable agriculture” in the farm bill. USFRA asked respondents what their definition was. The results were strikingly similar, with respondents’ top priorities being raising and growing food that is safe to consume, humane treatment of farm/ranch animals, and minimizing the environmental impact.
Survey respondents also were more interested in hearing about farmers’ plans for future environmental improvements than about past accomplishments or a farm’s generational history.