As the House Agriculture Committee plans for the next farm bill, consumers shared their opinions on food and agriculture policy in a new survey from Purdue University.
The third Consumer Food Insights report offers a significant look into the popularity of specific policies and how opinions differ depending on a consumer’s income. One of the most popular policy choices was increased funding for research to create crops more resistant to heat, drought, and flooding.
Another popular policy choice is paying farmers and ranchers to adopt climate-smart practices. Over 80 percent of consumer respondents supported those policies.
Food safety and inspection ranked as the most important USDA budget category.
The survey-based report comes from Purdue’s Center for Food Demand Analysis and Sustainability. It assesses food security and spending, consumer satisfaction and values, support for agriculture and food policies, and trust in information sources.
Other supported policies include regulating environmental claims and expanding SNAP benefits.