Consumers Weigh in on Agriculture and Food

March 1, 2022

By Lydia Zerby, Iowa Food & Family Project

Today’s consumers are savvier than ever and trust Iowa farmers to provide safe and nutritious food.

Today’s consumers are more aware than ever of how food travels through the supply chain and the impact global and local disruptions can have on inventory and prices. Now two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers continue to adapt to the ever-changing food markets.

Through all these fluctuations, consumers still show positive views and perceptions of Iowa agriculture and farming practices. The trends are evident from the latest Iowa Food & Family Project (Iowa FFP) Consumer Pulse Survey.

Now in its 10th year, the annual survey gauges Iowan’s grocery shopping habits and attitudes toward farmers and agriculture. Year-over-year findings not only give a pulse on perceptions but show how current events shape the behaviors or mindsets of Iowa grocery shoppers.

In addition to the standard benchmarking questions, this year’s survey included a series of open-ended questions related to concerns about food, go-to resources for trustworthy information about agriculture and the food industry, and factors that affect food purchasing.

The November 2021 survey of Iowa grocery shoppers had 698 responses and 43% were engaged with Iowa FFP as monthly Fresh Pickings eNewsletter subscribers. Respondents’ age groups, income levels, education levels and geographic regions closely follow the state’s population.

Flynn Wright, an advertising agency in Des Moines, conducted the survey analysis from data collected through a business-to-consumer panel.

Key Consumer Pulse Survey Insights 

84% of those connected with Iowa FFP strongly or somewhat agree they think about how the food they eat is grown and raised.

Views of Iowa Agriculture

  • 93% of shoppers are satisfied with Iowa agriculture, up 6 points from 2020.
  • Iowa FFP subscribers were more likely than non-subscribers to be “very satisfied” with Iowa agriculture, 43% versus 38%, respectively.
  • When asked, “How likely are you to speak positively about the agriculture industry in Iowa,” approximately 53% of Iowa FFP subscribers and 41% of the general population reported being “Very Likely” (9-10 scores).
  • Nearly 60% of respondents strongly agree agriculture in Iowa is the best in the nation, in addition to trusting Iowa farmers to provide safe, quality food to distributors and communities they serve.84% of those connected with Iowa FFP strongly or somewhat agree they think about how the food they eat is grown and raised.

Grocery Decision-Making Criteria

Food quality, price and nutritional value continue to carry the strongest importance for grocery decision making. Front-of-package marketing is the least-important criteria.

Perspectives on Iowa Farmer Performance

  • Three-quarters of food-minded consumers give farmers an “excellent” or a “good” rating for producing safe foods, contributing to the local economy and raising healthy animals with care.
  • “Excellent” and “good” ratings for farmer performance in protecting air, soil and water have jumped from 50% to 75% over the past five years.
  • Approximately 84% of Iowa FFP subscribers and 78% of the general population feel that Iowa farmers are on the right track with providing safe foods to Iowa communities.

A Resource for Iowa Consumers

 

Through events and content, Iowa FFP invites Iowans to explore how food is grown around the state and meet the farmers who make it happen; 24/7, 365 days a year.

More than 85% of shoppers in 2021 reported being familiar with Iowa FFP with 20% being “very familiar.”

Overall, advocacy of Iowa FFP is strong, as 55% of respondents were very likely to speak positively about Iowa FFP, which has improved since 2020. Iowa FFP subscribers reported the strongest advocacy scores at 64%, giving a score of 9 or 10.

When asked about the trustworthiness of Iowa FFP as a source of information, 85% of those familiar with the initiative rated it as “very” or “somewhat” trustworthy.

Iowa FFP invites Iowans to explore how food is grown around the state and meet the farmers who make it happen; 24/7, 365 days a year. The initiative works with a collaborative network of more than 35 food, farming and healthy living organizations that are proud of Iowa’s homegrown foods and hometown values.

The ag awareness initiative reaches more than 135,000 followers each month through its Fresh Pickings magazine, eNewsletter, website and social media channels.