Many members of the public lack familiarity with the farming methods known as regenerative agriculture, according to the August 2024 Consumer Food Insights report from Purdue University.
The survey-based report out of Purdue’s Center for Food Demand Analysis and Sustainability considered food spending, consumer satisfaction and values, support of agricultural and food policies, and trust in information sources, according to a news release. Purdue experts conducted and evaluated the survey, which included 1,200 consumers across the U.S.
Regenerative agriculture refers to farming methods that result in improved soil health, carbon capture, improved biodiversity and healthy water resources. Around 43% of survey respondents said they were “not at all familiar” with the term “regenerative agriculture,” and another 28% are only “slightly familiar,” the release said. After presenting respondents with the broad definition of regenerative agriculture, Center for Food Demand Analysis and Sustainability researchers gauged support for or opposition to the practice in the context of four hypothetical scenarios.
The first two scenarios involved practicing regenerative agriculture on U.S. farms and the voluntary adoption of its methods by farmers, according to the release. The other two scenarios related to industry or government plans that provide financial incentives for adopting the practices but that would result in higher prices or taxes to pay for the incentives.
“While consumers say they generally support regenerative agriculture initiatives, the level of support goes down when given additional information about the cost,” Joseph Balagtas, professor of agricultural economics at Purdue and Center for Food Demand Analysis and Sustainability director, said in the release. “Understandably, food policy is likely to be less popular when it comes at the expense of consumers, who are already dealing with high food prices.”
Balagtas said that the benefits of regenerative agricultural practices come at a cost, part of which may be borne by food consumers or taxpayers.
“Advocates of regenerative ag will need to consider the willingness of consumers or taxpayers to pay for those practices,” Balagtas said.
The report also assesses how educational differences potentially correlate with certain Consumer Food Insights indicators, such as food security, values, behaviors and beliefs. The educational groups are classified as high school degree or less, some college or two-year college degree, four-year college degree, and graduate degree.
CFDAS researchers continue to trace trends in food values by asking respondents to allocate 100 points to six food attributes based on their importance when grocery shopping. Taste and affordability have been the most important attributes for the nearly three years that the center has tracked these data, the release said. The overwhelming considerations when consumers are making their purchasing decisions are taste and price, said Elijah Bryant, a survey research analyst at the Center for Food Demand Analysis and Sustainability and a co-author of the report.
“Among food values, nutrition is a distant third, and social and environmental sustainability are least important,” Bryant said in the release.
