AHDB survey paints encouraging picture of Brits’ attitudes towards the agricultural sector
Consumers are showing greater confidence and trust in British farming, a new study by the AHDB reveals.
The levy body’s consumer trust research was conducted in partnership with Blue Marble in August 2024, but as part of its focus on the reputation of British farming, AHDB has been tracking consumer trust and the understanding of agriculture since 2019.
The 2024 results indicate the highest level of positivity compared with the previous six years, with 67 per cent of consumers feeling very or somewhat positive towards British agriculture.
The previous positivity peak was 66 per cent in 2020, due to a greater consumer focus on the food supply chain as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
As well as an increase in general positivity towards agriculture, the data also showed that consumer trust is improving, as 76 per cent of UK adults agreed that farming was a “trustworthy profession” – up from 71 per cent in 2023. That puts farming up there with teachers at 69 per cent and doctors at 78 per cent.
Greater interest in farming
A further boost for agriculture from research is the positive direction that consumer interest in farming and food production continues to head in, with both seeing steady rises over the last couple of years.
A total of 44 per cent of consumers stated they have an interest/knowledge in farming, and this positive increase has coincided with an upsurge in consumers who feel they are informed about food origin and production.
Wider AHDB studies also indicate positive sentiment towards British food, with 74 per cent agreeing that British farmers and growers are doing a good job producing food, a growth of five percentage points since May.
There is also positive news for shopping habits, as 56 per cent agree that they will proactively look for British food or produce over imported foods, increasing by three percentage points since May [AHDB/YouGov Tracker Aug 24].
Steve Evans, AHDB lead consumer insight manager, said: “This study highlights that there is an opportunity to build on the strong trust consumers clearly hold for farmers in producing food brought into their homes. Consumers are less concerned about the cost of living and have more favourable attitudes toward food purchases and increased positivity towards farming.
“As consumers start to feel more interested and informed about farming, there remains an opportunity to further enhance the role of farmers in telling the story behind the products consumers see on shelves.”
The full report can be found here.
