By Ben Pike
A survey about the British public’s attitudes towards food and farming grabbed headlines across the media in November. The survey was conducted by the British Guild of Agriculture Journalists (BGAJ).
The research – the first of its kind to be conducted by the guild – canvassed the opinions of more than 2,000 British citizens covering important issues such as animal welfare, genetic modification and environmental stewardship.
It was carried out by market research experts following input from more than a dozen members of the guild who submitted the questions they wanted answers to.
“We wanted this research to showcase how the British public feels about the important themes such as farmers’ environmental work, production standards and post-Brexit trade deals,” said BGAJ’s President Baroness Rosie Boycott.
The Findings
If one thing has become abundantly clear over the past three years it is that no-one can predict exactly what the public thinks. And that was born out yet again in the guild’s survey.
While the headline figures were as anticipated – more than eight out of 10 British citizens think imported food should meet British standards – there was a mix of attitudes towards a number of other topics.
On plant breeding technologies for example, 34 percent agree new plant-breeding technologies, such as genetically modified and gene-edited crops should be used in the UK to grow food.
And the results hinted that younger people were more likely to purchase lower standard food if it was cheaper.
Coverage
There were several drivers for the guild to carry out its first ever public outreach initiative. As well as engaging with members and providing them with a strong news story to report on, it was felt the guild had a role to play in helping influence the national news agenda with a story about agriculture that was rooted in fact, not conjecture.
BBC Radio 4’s Farming Today programme was the first consumer-facing station to pick up on the story and guild member Anna Hill presented a 7-minute slot on the findings. The story also made Country Life’s website and international food and drink media outlets.
A whole raft of guild members wrote pieces for food and farming publications, using the story in leader columns and social media content as well as in print and online.
The total reach of the campaign in print and online alone exceeded 210,000 people before factoring in the tens of thousands who listen to Farming Today.
“The campaign has been a huge success and demonstrates the appetite for good farming stories from the consumer media and our own membership” said Catherine Linch, BGAJ Chairperson. We have forged some useful relationships and will be looking at more outreach initiatives in the future.”
Snapshot
The survey company ComRes asked 2,009 British consumers to what extent they agreed or disagreed with a number of statements:
- 62% agreed that farmers should receive financial support from the taxpayer to ensure a continued supply of British food post-Brexit;
- 62% thought farmers had an important role to play in generating renewable electricity from technologies such as wind turbines and solar panels;
- Two in five (39%) said a UK farmer’s primary purpose should be to produce food, rather than carry out environmental work. 29% disagreed;
- More than a third (36%) said they did not believe farmers earned a fair share of profit made by retailers on the food they produce;
- 84% believed the Government should ensure all imported foods meet the same environmental and animal welfare standards as food produced in the UK;
- Just less than half (48%) said a climate change levy should be charged on food with a higher carbon footprint, with the proceeds spent on encouraging carbon-friendly farming methods;
- 34% agreed that new plant-breeding technologies, such as GM and gene-editing, should be used in the UK to grow food. 27% said they should not;
- 62% said they thought the public had adequate access to UK countryside in terms of rights of way and footpaths;
- 79% said they were proud of the British countryside and the rural communities who sustain it;
More than half (53%) said they would not buy food they knew was produced to lower animal welfare standards than the UK, even if it was cheaper. 55% of 18-34 year-olds, however, said they would.