Experts says farmers are from Mars, consumers from Venus - The two don't speak the same language when they're talking about the food system

By Laura Rance, Special to Ontario Farmer, July 25, 2006

Farmers must start thinking more like consumers if they want to improve their dialogue with the non-farming population, the co-ordinator of a Manitoba Rural Adaptation Council initiative to improve agricultural awareness says.

It sounds simple enough, but farmers don't always understand that they see the food system from very different perspectives, said Shelley Cure, a St. Pierre farmer and MRAC board member.

Whereas farmers view the food system from the field of wheat forward, consumers experience it from the loaf of bread back.

Better understanding what motivates the consumer's interest in food purchases, food-related issues and concerns will be a key component of a more effective communications strategy for the industry.

"That was a real "aha" moment for us as a committee," Cure said in an interview.
For example, one U.S. study conducted a comparison of consumer and farmer attitudes on questions related to the acceptability of farm practices to improve food. On the question of using pesticides to increase crop production, only 12 per cent of consumers said it was always acceptable, compared to 34 per cent of farmers. Thirty-two per cent opposed pesticide use compared to only four per cent of farmers.

Fifty seven per cent of consumers said it is never acceptable to use pesticides to improve appearance, compared to 28 per cent of farmers. Fifty per cent opposed the use of hormones to improve milk production compared to 37 per cent of farmers.

Consumers are consistently less supportive of using biotechnology to improve crop nutrition and productivity than farmers.

MRAC has approved a stakeholder's meeting for late October to discuss the findings and plan a strategy. "I personally think that the message that we're putting out there has to be both broader and targeted a little better," said Cure.
Much of the industry's emphasis is on product promotion, when a recent review of literature on consumer attitudes towards agriculture indicates a general lack of understanding, but a growing interest in the 'how' of food production.

MRAC hired a local consulting company, Prairie Global Management, to conduct an inventory of existing agricultural awareness strategies in the province and an analysis of publicly available data on consumer demographics and attitudes.

Cure said one of the surprising findings was the changing consumer demographics in Canada. Forty per cent of Canada's population is considered an immigrant ethnic minority from one of two streams - European descent and developing countries.

Cure said people from different cultures have different attitudes towards farmers and farming issues. For example, Europeans tend to be much more concerned over animal welfare and food safety.

As well, nine per cent of the Canadian population has inadequate literacy skills to read the normal material encountered in everyday life. A 1995 study found that 38 per cent of the population aged 55 or older is illiterate -- an interesting dynamic considering that by 2010 people over the age of 50 will control two-thirds of all discretionary income in Canada.

Cure said one of the challenges becomes how best to reach the consumer who doesn't read. "It's something else we have to take into consideration."

The research shows consumers rely on mainstream media outlets for much of their knowledge about agriculture and food issues, yet having staff reporters that are well-versed in those subjects is not seen as a priority by news editors.

Cure said improving the awareness and knowledge of school teachers and journalists may be important strategies for increasing general public awareness, "kind of like an agriculture 101," she said.

As the education system is currently structured, a graduate from agricultural sciences cannot transfer those credits towards a teaching degree in the same manner in which a biology or chemistry graduate can, she noted. That makes it more difficult to get interested and knowledgeable school teachers into the system.

The analysis found consumers trust farmers as credible sources of information. But they are also prepared to put their money where their mouths are when it comes to their beliefs about farming practices.

"When asked whether they would be willing to switch to a food company whose suppliers use farming practices that preserve environmental resources for the future, 42 percent said they would be 'very likely' to switch, 44 per cent said 'somewhat likely'," the Global Management analysis says.

"More than half of consumers said that it is important for food to be produced in ways that maintain environmental resources and productivity for the future, but less than half were satisfied that their food was being produced in that manner. Water quality emerged as a key issue for consumers and farmers."

Another key point farmers often fail to recognize is that agriculture or farming is not on consumers minds. Rather the issues germane to agriculture are what consumers are interested in - issues such as food safety, quality, health and the environment.

"These issues can be used to leverage consumer awareness of agriculture," the analysis said.

The study found that Canadian-produced food is clearly seen as being better than food produced in other countries, but just one in 10 consumers simply prefer to buy Canadian.

Consumer interest is triggered by a number of drivers, including food safety, quality, animal welfare, environmental responsibility and the belief that "you are what you eat" - role food plays in how people feel.

OACC gratefully acknowledges Ontario Farmer for permission to post this article on our website. December, 2006.