Results of Consumer Survey on Farm and Food Industry
Commissioned by Communicating for Agriculture, August 3-10, 1999
For more information, call 1-800-432-3276 or (612) 854-9005
"Much has been written about the farm crisis. Our research is designed to learn the attitudes of consumers of agriculture — people like you and me who buy groceries."
1. Each week, how much do you spend on groceries? Would you say it is ( READ LIST) Choose best answer:
$50 or less -- 25.5%
$50- $100 -- 46%
$100-150 -- 18%
$150- 200 -- 5.5%
$200 or more -- 4.5%
2. There are many changes in the structure of agriculture. Some of the food you and I eat is grown by
Family farmers…. Some of it by Large Agriculture Corporations … and some by larger Multi-national Companies.
2A.Which of the three are more likely to keep costs the lowest? (READ LIST) Choose best answer:
59% -- Family Farmers
12.5% -- Large Agriculture Corporations
17.5% -- Multi-national Companies
Ask only if they are ‘unsure’:
10.5% -- All about the same
2B. Which of the three is more likely to be concerned about food safety? (READ LIST) Choose best answer:
78% -- Family Farmers
13.5% -- Large Agriculture Corporations
6% -- Multi-national Companies
Ask only if they are ‘unsure’:
4% -- All about the same
2C.Which are more likely to make sure that there are no food shortages? (READ LIST) Choose best answer:
45% -- Family Farmers
21% -- Large Agriculture Corporations
24.5% -- Multi-national Companies
Ask only if they are ‘unsure’:
8.5% -- All about the same
2D. Finally, which is more likely to take care of the land, and protect the environment? (READ LIST) Choose best answer:
82.5% -- Family Farmers
12% -- Large Agriculture Corporations
4% -- Multi-national Companies
Ask only if they are ‘unsure’:
2% -- All about the same
3. A box of Corn Flakes costs about $2. What % of the total price do you think goes to the farmer? Would you say it is (READ LIST):
70% -- 10% OR LESS -- (If they choose this go to 3A)
19% -- 10% -20%
6% -- 20%- 30%
3.5%-- 30% OR MORE
-- "By the way, the actual number is 2%."
4. In your personal experience, would you say that the cost of groceries has:
78% -- gone up in price in the last year
12.5% -- stayed about the same price as last year
1.5% -- gone down in price from last year
7.5% -- don’t know or have you never bothered to check
5. In the last year, the cost of groceries has gone up between 3-5% on a national average. If you could pick one group that is most responsible, who would it be? (READ LIST)
47.5% -- Government policies
1.5% -- Farmers
24.5% -- Food processors
26.5% -- Grocery stores
5A. Who do you think is the least responsible for the increase in grocery prices? READ LIST)
5.5% -- Government policies
80% -- Farmers
4% -- Food processors
9.5% -- Grocery stores
6. In the last year, the price farmers receive for the food they produce has reached a 30-yr. low. In many crops, prices have dropped by 20-30%. And thousands of farmers have called it quits. In an effort to help farmers, Congress may soon vote to spend $6 billion in payments to farmers.
If you were in Congress, and had to vote on the $6 billion farm relief package, would you vote to (READ OPTIONS)
84%-spend the money --( if yes, ask 6A)
13%-not to spend the money ( if no 6B)
6A. 68.5% -Would you vote to spend $10 billion?
6B. 11%-Would you vote to spend $3 billion? (if no 6C)
7. Would you support a 1-% tax on groceries if the funds were used to support family farmers? (READ CHOICES)
58% -- Very Likely
20.5% -- Somewhat Likely
4.5% -- Somewhat unlikely
16.5% -- Very unlikely
8. There is an increasing concentration in agriculture — that means fewer companies own more of the actual farmland, food processing and distribution of food products. Do you think this will lead to. . . (READ LIST)
7% -- Lower grocery costs.
71.5% -- Not lower costs but increased profits to those companies
21% -- Both lower costs for you and increase profits to those companies
9. My last question. I like you to tell me how important the farm crisis and food safety is compared with other national issues. There are five issues. For each issue, tell me if you think it is (READ LIST)
_____ -- more important
_____-- about the same
_____ -- less important
9A. Health Care Reform
37% -- more important
48% -- about the same
15% -- less important
9B. Federal Income Tax Cuts
37% more important
34% about the same
29% less important
9C. Gun Control
42% -- more important
19% -- about the same
39% -- less important
9D. -- Keeping the Federal Budget Balanced
37% -- more important
36% -- about the same
27% -- less important
9E. -- Campaign Finance Reform
34% -- more important
14% -- about the same
52% -- less important
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