Trust in farming boosted by pandemic

Consumers feel more positive about British agriculture following a year of major change, according to a new report by AHDB The ‘Trust in Farming and the Environment: The Consumer Perspective' report showed a total of 66 per cent of people said they felt very or somewhat positive about British agriculture - up four per cent on the year before.And farmers have been chosen as the most trusted group within the food sector by European consumers, according to a study by pan-European academic partners including the University of Reading.In the AHDB report, it was revealed most people viewed farmers positively in regard to the environment, with those who think farming in the UK has a negative impact in the minority - just 15 per cent.EnvironmentBut consumers would like to see farmers do more to demonstrate their environmental credentials through planting trees, sustainability labelling and boosting efficiency.AHDB Consumer Insight Manager and report author Susie Stannard said there was goodwill towards farmers but there was also a growing awareness of the environmental issues and a desire to see improvements.Top environmental concerns included issues such as pollution from plastic waste and climate change.But top issues amongst those most concerned about the environment included methane from livestock, the amount of land allocated to animal production, water use in arable, flooding and soil erosion.Ms Stannard added in the UK people felt much more positively about the impact of farming in this country and the industry should ‘use that as a base to build from'.The EIT Food Trust Report also found consumer trust in the food sector has increased over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study, which surveyed 19,800 consumers from 18 European countries, was conducted by a consortium of pan-European academic partners including the University of Reading, the European Food Information Council (EUFIC), Aarhus University, KU Leuven, and the University of Warsaw.Trust in all parts of the food sector has increased, and with it the confidence they have in food products.Of all players within the food sector, farmers are the most trusted by the public, with two-thirds (67 per cent) of European consumers reporting that they trust farmers compared to just 13 per cent that do not.Retailers were the next most trusted group.But trust in both government agencies and food manufacturers has lagged behind, with less than half of consumers across all countries stating they trust these groups.