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Iowa Farm Bureau releases food and farm survey results

Nearly four out of five Iowans say they pay attention to food labels when they buy their groceries, but the actual percentage has declined from a year ago.

In the annual Iowa Farm Bureau Food and Farm Index Survey, 76 percent of grocery shoppers surveyed said they read food labels when they buy their groceries. That’s down from 82 percent in last year’s survey.

Farm Bureau says that while Iowans’ interest in labels like “raised organically” (29% in 2015, 19% in 2016) and “raised locally” (40% in 2015, 28% in 2016) fluctuate, taste and price remain the dominant and consistent factors driving both meat and dairy product selections of Iowa grocery shoppers.

The survey also found that 94 percent of grocery shoppers place trust in Iowa farmers, with two-thirds placing a “great deal of trust” in them.  Nearly nine in ten say they are confident Iowa farmers care for their animals responsibly, and a strong majority of Iowa grocery shoppers, 84 percent, say they are confident that Iowa farmers care for the environment.

The online survey included 505 Iowa residents age 20 to 60 who have primary or shared responsibility for grocery shopping for their households. It was conducted between July 24th and August 5th of this year by Harris Poll.