Consumer Awareness Increasing in Food Production

Farmers, ranchers and others in the food industry are all too aware of the spotlight they are under in this age of concerned consumers.

Jack Bobo with Intrexon said it’s an interesting time.

“In many ways, consumers have never cared more how their food is produced and known less about how their food is produced.”

Bobo said the U.S. has best and most safe food system that has ever existed which is good because Americans care more than they ever have before about that production process.

That does lead to some challenges in food policy, production and how the industry is evolving, and Bobo said the industry is not really helping itself.

“You look at how we market food and you see these idyllic farms on the packaging where the animals are happy as they’re led to slaughter. If you market a vision for agriculture that’s inconsistent with the reality for agriculture, how can you be surprised if people don’t understand agriculture.”

Bobo spoke at the recent USDA Agriculture Outlook Forum.