Except On Pricing, Farmers And Consumers See Eye To Eye
February 13, 2012 Farmers and consumers see the farming profession in a similar light, even across cultures, according to a survey sponsored this past summer by German agricultural products and technology giant BASF, as part of its strategic shift to focus on sustainability.
Markus Heldt, president of BASF’s Crop Protection division, was upbeat on the views farmers expressed on their profession, and that they felt a responsibility toward feeding the world.
“When I saw the results I was excited and relieved, because it shows that farmers look at their job as their responsibility, as more than a transaction of business. They are clearly looking to take care of future generations and to take care of the quality of land,” Heldt said at a press conference at the company’s headquarters in Ludwigshafen, Germany. “These results are shaping our strategy and have changed our strategy on how we are approaching the market.”
Here are some of the major findings of the Farm Perspectives Study:
• Eighty percent of farmers and consumers around the world agree that the primary objective of farming is to feed the world, but farmers believe consumers do not fully understand the challenges they face.
• U.S. and Brazilian farmers are the most satisfied of those surveyed. In the U.S., 13% said they were “totally satisfied,” 25% described themselves as “very satisfied,” while 45% said they were “satisfied
• A small percentage of farmers in every country surveyed believe they are respected. The catch: More than 80% of consumers say they respect farmers, although they are convinced society in general does not.
• Most consumers say they would not pay higher prices for food produced in an environmentally friendly way, but farmers believe they should be willing to pay more for these products. U.S. and German consumers, at 53%, were the most likely to say they would pay extra, although behavior at the point-of-sale is unrelated.
• Forty percent of U.S. farmers – the smallest percentage of the group – said they should focus more on consumers and try harder to fulfill their requirements, while 44% said consumers’ concerns are legitimate.
• Both farmers and consumers believe subsidies help keep food prices low. Only a small percentage among those surveyed believes farm subsidies are too high and interfere with competition.
• One gap: Farmers favor describing themselves as “stewards of the land” or “taking care of the land” in all countries, but consumers are more inclined to disagree.
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