The latest BASF Farm Perspectives study found that consumers and farmers from around the globe say they care a lot about sustainability in agriculture. However, the two groups have a very different understanding of what sustainability means.
Farmers see sustainability as a detailed, multi-dimensional issue, while consumers tend to define it mainly in the context of environmental aspects, reports Ag Professional. The study analyzed answers from 2,100 farmers and 7,000 consumers in seven different countries regarding their perceptions on a range of topics related to food production.
The results were compared to the 2011 study and revealed how attitudes regarding agriculture differ greatly, not only between farmers and consumers, but also from country to country.
“These results help us to better understand the different perceptions regarding sustainable agriculture,” said Dr. Kristina Winzen, vice president of Global Communications and Public Government Affairs for BASF’s Crop Protection division. “Growers and consumers do not understand sustainability in the same way and that makes it quite challenging for farmers to fulfill the requirements from society.”