Consumers Prefer U.S. Grown Crops

The United Soybean Board (USB) released results of a new survey, highlighting consumer perceptions of U.S. soybeans, soybean farmers and the U.S. food supply chain. According to the survey, consumer support of domestic agriculture has only grown stronger, with 78% of consumers – an 8% increase since the last survey in December 2020 – saying it’s important to purchase U.S.-grown food, including soybeans.

“It’s encouraging to see support of U.S. agriculture increase over the past year,” said Belinda Burrier, Chair of USB’s Communication and Education Committee and a soybean farmer from Maryland. “Understanding our customers’ attitudes is a critical component as our farmer-funded investments aim to demonstrate the nutritional value of soybeans, ultimately increasing demand and bringing value back to the farm.”

Other key takeaways from the study include:

• U.S. farmers continue to be the most trusted source when it comes to food safety, with 83% of consumers ranking them No. 1 among members of the supply chain, an increase of 5% since the last survey in December 2020.
• The vast majority of consumers, 82%, have a very/somewhat positive view of U.S. farmers who grow crops, including soybeans. This is a 3% increase since the December 2020 survey.
• Soy is seen as healthy by more than half of consumers, with 60% saying that soy-based food is somewhat/very healthy and 26% having a neutral view of soy. However, only 39% are aware that the soybeans used in popular foods are grown sustainably.

The survey validated informing consumers is an effective tool in gaining their trust.

Editor’s Take:

It is heartwarming to see just how much support agriculture has among consumers. The research reported in this article underscores precisely how much confidence consumers actually place on farmers and what they do to produce safe, sustainable and nutritious food. This is especially good to hear when food prices are rising so rapidly.