PUBLIC WANTS FOOD LOCALLY GROWN

NATIONWIDE POLL SUPPORTS U.S. FARMERS
VALUE THEIR CONSERVATION EFFORTS,
PUBLIC WANTS FOOD LOCALLY GROWN

America's farms and ranches are important to the nation's voters, and
not just for their locally grown food. A new poll released this week
shows that voters value farms and ranches for the conservation
benefits they provide, such as cleaner air and water and wildlife
habitat. And not only do voters want the federal government to support
programs that secure those values, by linking conservation practices
with farm payments, but voters are willing to pay to ensure
conservation benefits from farms and ranches.

The poll, a telephone survey of 1,024 registered voters nationwide,
uncovered strong support for American agriculture, with 81% of voters
saying they want their food to come from within the United States.
Americans professed a close connection to farmers and ranchers, with
70% reporting that they have bought something directly from a farmer
during the last year, such as at a farm stand or a farmers' market.

Voter concern about farm environmental issues registers almost as high
as for current "hot" political issues. For example, 71% are concerned
about chemical poison residues on food and 69% of American voters say
they are concerned about loss of farmland to development, compared
with more than 80% of voters concerned about public education and gas
prices.

Seventy-eight percent of the American electorate report they are aware
of government income support programs for farmers. Voters strongly
approve of these programs when they are used to correct low market
prices or in cases of drought or flood damage.

The addition of conservation conditions to farm supports, however,
received overwhelming approval, as 75% of American voters feel income
support to the American farmer should come with the stipulation that
farmers are required to apply "one or more conservation practices,"
such as protecting wetlands or preventing water pollution.

"We were struck by how many voters make the link between agriculture
and conservation benefits," said Ralph Grossi, president of American
Farmland Trust.
"The public feels strongly about all the values they see in American
agriculture; not only do they appreciate America's bounty on their
tables, they also realize farms and ranches provide environmental
benefits and they are willing to share the cost."

Several programs exist to support conservation on farms and ranches,
among them the Farmland Protection Program (FPP), Environmental
Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Wetlands Reserve Program
(WRP). For each of these programs, demand has far outstripped federal
funding in 2001. For WRP alone, unmet requests from farmers totaled
$568 million. This year FPP was only allocated $17.5 million in
funding-leaving a gap of $90 million and hundreds of farmers waiting
in line to protect their land.

"As expected, when we asked voters about how they wanted to increase
federal spending, they placed a high priority on addressing pressing
needs like finding cures for cancer, educating our children and
ensuring adequate energy supplies," said Grossi. "What we did not expect
was the finding that a majority of voters --- 53% --- feel increasing funds
to keep productive farmland from being developed should be a national
priority."

And voters are willing to spend their own money to help farmers
protect the environment. When asked whether they would like to get all
or some of a possible $100 tax refund, 63% said they'd forego some of
that money to protect waterways, wetlands or wildlife habitat.

"With such strong support for agricultural conservation, policymakers
should triple conservation spending in the next farm bill," Grossi
pointed out. "The programs are there, and they work. With $21 billion
allocated annually to farm support payments by the budget agreement,
half should be reserved for conservation programs. It's just a
question of putting some financial muscle into making conservation
happen."

"Over the past 19 years I have repeatedly surveyed farmers and found
them very willing to conserve natural resources. These new results
strongly indicate that conservation-oriented farm programs will please
not just farmers, but most voters," said Dr. J. Dixon Esseks, a political
scientist from Northern Illinois University (NIU) who directed the poll.

The telephone survey of 1,024 registered voters nationwide was
conducted June 2 through 21, 2001, with a margin of sampling error
of +3.1% in 95 out of 100 cases. The poll, directed by Dr. Esseks,
was conducted by the Public Opinion Research Laboratory of NIU.
The Tarrance Group, Inc., a strategic research and polling firm in
Alexandria, Virginia, provided consulting and analytical services.
Funding for the poll was provided by The Joyce Foundation and the
members of American Farmland Trust.