ROYSTER FAMILY, FARMERS FROM DUNCOMBE
Iowans Have Aisle Insights Survey shows grocery shoppers are fans of farmers, mistrust food marketing BY KELLY VISSER, AG AWARENESS MANAGER
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ttention-grabbing headlines often paint grocery shoppers to be victims of the latest trends, ready to pull out their pocketbooks for catchy marketing and little substance. According to the Iowa Food & Family Project’s (Iowa FFP) latest Consumer Pulse Survey, those headlines don’t hold true for Iowans. Results show grocery shoppers across the state are growing more and more savvy to misleading food marketing, hesitant to pick up on buzzworthy trends and trusting farmers to grow and raise food with care. Now in its eighth year, the survey
16 | MARCH 2020 | IASOYBEANS.COM
gauges grocery shopping habits, food label influence and attitudes toward agriculture. Year-over-year findings not only give a pulse on perceptions, but also help shape the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) and Iowa FFP consumer-focused programming and content development. For Pat Swanson, ISA District 9 Director from Ottumwa, the results help cut through the headlines. “The findings are actionable and Iowa specific” she says. “Rather than being overwhelmed with the constant stream of confusion and misinformation that’s in the media, hearing directly from Iowa grocery
shoppers helps me focus on what I can share as a farmer to help improve their understanding and perception of today’s food system.” The November 2019 survey had 597 responses and 307 were engaged with Iowa FFP as monthly Fresh Pickings eNewsletter subscribers. Respondents’ age groups, income levels, education levels and geographic regions closely follow the state’s population, resulting in a 4% margin of error. Blue Compass, a digital marketing agency in West Des Moines, conducted the survey analysis from data collected through Dynata’s business-toconsumer panel.
