Study finds consumer trust in farmers to be higher than for teachers

The study follows the launch of a pioneering project last year to get hospitality businesses of all kinds selling local food, with NFU vice president Rachel Hallos, a tenant hill farmer in Ripponden, West Yorkshire, saying its aim was to “reconnect people with food”.

“It’s something there is a lot of passion for here in Yorkshire,” she said. “If we can spark an interest in food and where it comes from, it gives a real sense of belonging, community, and support in the area.”

The AHDB study found there have been particular increases in positivity towards agriculture from those aged 65-plus, those who describe themselves as being in a “comfortable“ financial situation and those who feel well informed about farming. As part of the study, 2,000 consumers were asked their impressions of different agricultural sectors, with the research showing all agricultural sectors had risen in consumer positivity since 2019.

The AHDB research concluded positivity was highest in the fruit, vegetable and cereal sectors, while the positivity of dairy, sheep and beef sectors all showed strong increases compared to 2019, and while pig and poultry positivity scores were lower than other sectors, they were still significantly higher than they were in 2019.

It found consumer trust in farmers to be “impressively high”, with 76 per cent of UK adults agreeing that farming was a trustworthy profession in the study. Another positive for farmers is the trustworthiness figure has also significantly risen compared to last year, as consumers learn more about British agriculture and show appreciation for the people who help put food on their tables. Farmer trust scores are up with doctors and scored ahead of other well-respected professions like teachers and nutritionists.

An AHDB spokesman said: “A big positive for agriculture from the findings of this research is the positive direction that consumer interest in farming and food production continues to head in, with both seeing steady rises over the last couple of years.”

According to the study, which was undertaken in August, 44 per cent of consumers stated they had an interest in farming, which coincides with a strong increase in consumers who feel they are informed about food origin and production. Some 70 per cent of consumers felt they had a good understanding of where food comes from, with top knowledge sources coming from food labelling and supermarkets, but researchers found significant pockets of consumers who felt they had a poor understanding of where food comes from.