Data released from an Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) study has shown that 71% of UK adults agree that farming is a trustworthy profession.
The data was released ahead of an AHDB webinar scheduled to take place on Thursday, November 2, which will explore consumer attitudes towards meat and dairy and attitudes towards the farming profession.
Discussions will be centred on how consumer attitudes towards meat and dairy will impact future demand and the webinar will also cover consumer concerns related to trust in farming and themes like health, environment, welfare and buying British.
The webinar will dissect data from the 2023 AHDB/Blue Marble trust study, which has been running for five years.
AHDB said it will explore the reasons behind the data – which has revealed that 71% of UK adults agree that farming is a trustworthy profession, a similar rate of trust to teachers at 67% and doctors at 78%.
AHDB lead consumer insight manager, Steve Evans, will be hosting the webinar. Evans will be joined by consumer insight manager, Vanessa Adamson, and retail and consumer insight analyst, Charlotte Forkes-Rees.
AHDB head of marketing, Carrie McDermind, will also be in attendance. She will speak on the importance of consumer marketing and advertising, and how market intelligence work is used to inform industry and consumers on the facts around meat and dairy.
“With everyone continuing to feel the effects of the cost-of-living crisis and consumers thinking more and more about their food choices, it’s never been so important for farmers and producers to prove the worth of their food,” Evans said.
“During the webinar we’re going to be covering several key consumer themes, including the desire to buy British, health and nutritional food perceptions, rising interest in the environment and the consumer focus of balancing price and quality.
“The goal of this webinar is not just to inform attendees on current consumer attitudes and opinions of British agriculture and food, but more importantly, to explore how this will affect future demand and future opportunities.
“By assessing key future considerations, we can ensure we are doing all we can to support farmers, growers, retailers and processors to be as well informed as possible, helping them to adapt to evolving consumer needs and back the reputation of British farming.”
