Ag’s Go-To Messages Not Resonating

A recent survey by a group of farmers and ranchers examined consumers’ reactions to the most commonly used messages in U.S. agriculture. The survey found that consumers often derive negative meanings from the messages the agriculture industry uses to promote itself.

This survey finds that, while consumers tend to trust farmers, they do not trust farming practices. Further, farmers are not speaking to consumers’ concerns and the messages they are sending are not convincing consumers to trust the agriculture industry.

Researchers provide the following summary of the way that consumers interpret the major messages put forward by the agriculture industry.