Survey Says: Consumers Want Food Made with U.S. Crops

Checkoff research confirms that consumers are united in their support for domestic agriculture.

ST. LOUIS (Feb. 24, 2022) — The United Soybean Board (USB) released results of a new survey, highlighting consumer perceptions of U.S. soybeans, soybean farmers and the U.S. food supply chain. According to the survey, consumer support of domestic agriculture has only grown stronger, with 78%  of consumers – an 8% increase since the last survey in December 2020 – saying it’s important to purchase U.S.-grown food, including soybeans.

“It’s encouraging to see support of U.S. agriculture increase over the past year, a true testament to the work of soybean farmers through their checkoff to strengthen consumer perceptions of U.S.-grown soybeans,” said Belinda Burrier, Chair of USB’s Communication and Education Committee and a soybean farmer from Maryland. “Understanding our customers’ attitudes is a critical component as our investments aim to demonstrate the nutritional value of soybeans, ultimately increasing demand and bringing value back to the farm.”

Other key takeaways from the study include: 

• U.S. farmers continue to be the most trusted source when it comes to food safety, with 83% of consumers ranking them No. 1 among members of the supply chain, an increase of 5% since the last survey in December 2020.
• The vast majority of consumers, 82%, have a very/somewhat positive view of U.S. farmers who grow crops, including soybeans. This is a 3% increase since the December 2020 survey. 
• Soy is seen as healthy by more than half of consumers, with 60% saying that soy-based food is somewhat/very healthy and 26% having a neutral view of soy. However, only 39% are aware that the soybeans used in popular foods are grown sustainably. 

With promotion and education being key pillars of the checkoff, the survey validated that informing consumers is an effective tool, with 72% of respondents feeling more positive about soy as a food ingredient after learning about the sustainability of soybeans. Likewise, communicating about soy as a high-quality “complete” protein proved to be the most impactful statement on consumers’ perception of soy, highlighting an essential opportunity to demonstrate its excellent protein profile to health-conscious consumers. 

“Driving home soy as a complete protein, coupled with awareness that this product is sustainably grown, poses a real opportunity for our industry to raise the profile of soyfoods,” said Mace Thornton, vice president of communications and marketing strategy for USB. “Insights from this survey will inform investment decisions of the checkoff’s farmer-led Communication and Education Committee and ultimately help deliver sustainable soy solutions to every life, every day.” 

New to USB’s strategic plan, the Communication and Education Committee oversees checkoff investments in strategies that build trust in and elevate the reputation of U.S. Soy to drive new and increased value back to farmers. 

About United Soybean Board: United Soybean Board’s 78 volunteer farmer-leaders work on behalf of all U.S. soybean farmers to achieve maximum value for their soy checkoff investments. These volunteers create value by investing in research, education and promotion with the vision to deliver sustainable soy solutions to every life, every day across the three priority areas of Infrastructure & Connectivity, Health & Nutrition, and Innovation & Technology. As stipulated in the federal Soybean Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act, the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service has oversight responsibilities for USB and the soy checkoff. For more information on the United Soybean Board, visit unitedsoybean.org.

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Contact:

Paul Murphy-Spooner at United Soybean Board, 515.975.6584.

Mace Thornton at United Soybean Board, mthornton@unitedsoybean.org.