Bridging the Farmer-Consumer Gap

By: Shiloh Perry, American Farm Bureau Federation

Consumers are increasingly curious about their food. We want to know what’s in our food and how it is produced. We are interested in the latest food and dietary trends.

Current consumer behavior presents an opportunity for those involved in agriculture, and we need to act on it. For example, people may have emotional reasons for eating certain foods. Dietary trends are not going away. They just change. False information about agriculture also gets thrown in the mix and complicates things even further.

"It is time for those of us with a connection to agriculture to refine our efforts to bridge this information gap."

The average American is at least three generations removed from the farm. As more and more people move away from farm and ranch work, the gap between farmers and consumers expands and the need for a general understanding of agriculture becomes even more pressing.

It is time for those of us with a connection to agriculture to refine our efforts to bridge this information gap. If you are like me, you know this effort is extremely important but are unsure where to begin. You are also passionate about agriculture and care about how it is perceived by the public, but feel that sharing the story of America’s farmers and ranchers can sometimes be daunting.

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