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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For more
information contact:
Philip Lobo, Alliance Communications Director
(703) 562-5160
Mimi Ricketts,
NCGA Communications Director
(636) 733-9004
Trust in
Agriculture and Support for Freedom of Food Choice is High
ARLINGTON, VA (April
5, 2004) – The general public has deep trust and confidence in
American school teachers, veterinarians, physicians and farmers and
ranchers. In contrast, the public indicates distrust for activists and
well-known Hollywood actors or actresses, especially when they attack
animal agriculture. So says a national consumer opinion survey conducted
by Market Directions, Inc. and jointly underwritten by the Animal Agriculture
Alliance (Alliance) and National Corn Growers Association (NCGA).
"The
results of the survey are very positive and don’t surprise anyone
who appreciates the contributions that animal agriculture makes to our
quality of life,” says Bruce Andrews, Animal Agriculture Alliance
President. “Our polls show that the public has consistently over
the years trusted and valued American farmers and ranchers and the important
job they do so well. More than 40 percent of respondents over the age
of 25 considered farmers and ranchers to be one of their two most favorably
viewed groups. At the same time, animal rights activists show themselves
to be consistently out of touch with the public at large.”
NCGA President Dee
Vaughan, a corn grower from Dumas, Texas, added, “It’s heartening
to realize the public is gaining a greater awareness that accurate information
on animal and production agriculture comes not from celebrity sources
and activist groups but straight from the experts—those ranchers
and farmers who on a daily basis make their livelihood by working with
animals and the land. Efforts by the entire agriculture sector to educate
the general public on best practices are having an impact.”
Eighty-six percent
of respondents think consumers should have the right to choose what
they eat and not be dictated to by a small minority of activists, according
to the poll conducted in February. The poll is the fifth conducted by
the Alliance to track public attitudes about farmers and ranchers, as
well as trends in philosophies, issues and buying habits.
Tracking those whom
the public trusts when it comes to messages about farm animal well-being
revealed farm animal veterinarians, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
representatives, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) representatives
and farmers and ranchers among the most believable. On the opposite
side, among the lowest ranked for credibility on farm animal treatment
were well-known Hollywood actors (6 percent) and activists (18 percent).
Nearly 80 percent
of the respondents agreed with the following statement: “While
it is important to be concerned about how farm animals are raised, there
is nothing wrong with raising animals solely for food purposes.”
And, more than 80 percent believe farmers are concerned about the well-being
of their animals and food safety, in addition to doing a good job producing
healthy food at reasonable prices.
The survey
asked respondents if they would be willing to pay more—and how
much more--of their take-home dollars for meat and poultry products
labeled “humanely raised.” If the cost were 5 percent more,
31 percent said they would buy the “humanely raised” product.
A 10 percent price increase cut the number of willing buyers to 23 percent,
and with a price increase of 20 percent, the number willing to spend
more shrank to 11 percent.
On the topic of
science and genetic enhancements, nearly half the respondents (47 percent)
indicated scientists should be free to use science and genetics to breed
farm animals to be resistant to bacteria that can cause human illness,
while 30 percent of those polled were neutral or unsure.
When it comes to
food safety and quality, the public considers family physicians, dieticians,
the FDA and the USDA to be the most credible sources of information
about the food they eat. Again, they considered politicians and well-known
Hollywood actors to be among the least credible sources about food quality
and safety.
When going to the
grocery store, a full 70 percent of those surveyed said that animal
rights groups were not very influential or not at all influential on
their purchasing decisions. Only 7 percent of those polled indicated
animal rights groups were extremely or very influential in influencing
their purchasing decisions.
The public opinion
survey was conducted online by Kansas City, MO-based Market Directions,
Inc. The 1,002 respondents were 37 percent male and 63 percent female.
Ninety-three percent of respondents indicated they are the primary shopper
or share in shopping duties.
Consumers
Attitudes About Animal Welfare; 2004 National Public Opinion Survey
- PDF
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The National Corn
Growers Association mission is to create and increase opportunities
for corn growers in a changing world and to enhance corn’s profitability
and usage. NCGA represents more than 33,000 members, 25 affiliated state
corn grower organizations and hundreds of thousands of growers who contribute
to state checkoff programs.
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