High food costs concern 8 in 10 consumers

WEST DES MOINES — As consumers grapple with inflation, the latest Iowa Farm Bureau Food and Farm Index shows that price is the most important factor for Iowa grocery shoppers when determining which meat, poultry and dairy products to purchase.

Government regulations that increase food costs was a top concern among 81% of grocery shoppers, up 4% from last year’s survey and a 19% jump in three years.

While other states have recently enacted mandates and production restrictions on agricultural goods, leading to higher prices, more than four in five Iowa grocery shoppers think it’s important that farmers have the flexibility to use a variety of farming practices to provide different choices and price options at the grocery store.

“Flexibility is key,” says Iowa Farm Bureau President Brent Johnson. “We’re all feeling the pressure of ongoing high inflation, and the situation has only worsened with the patchwork of rules enacted by individual states that limits food production, accessibility and affordability.”

Citing a recent USDA study showing retail prices for specific pork cuts in California have increased up to 40% due to state-dictated pork production practices, Johnson said, “When individual states choose how farmers should grow and raise food, that significantly limits a farmer’s ability to provide a variety of affordable food choices and impacts consumers at the grocery store.”

Real meat vs. imitation meat

Enthusiasm for real meat and dairy continues to be strong among Iowans, with 99% of Iowa grocery shoppers’ families consuming meat/poultry and dairy of any kind at least weekly.

While meat and dairy consumption is part of daily life for the majority of Iowa families, only 4% are likely to purchase plant-based imitation meat instead of real meat and only 11% purchase plant-based imitation milk instead of real dairy milk.

About 43% of Iowa households have purchased plant-based imitation meat, but only a quarter of shoppers said they were likely to purchase it in the future.

More than 90% of Iowans believe meat and milk from animals are healthier compared to plant-based alternatives. Nutrition experts say they are correct.

The National Institutes of Health says that meat, eggs and dairy are natural sources of Vitamin B12, which promotes brain development in children and helps the human nervous system function properly, yet it is rarely found in plant foods.

Real meat is also the primary source of zinc in Americans’ diets, which is integral to supporting the body’s immune system.

Farmers are trusted

Trust and confidence in Iowa farmers have remained strong over more than a decade of polling, with 93% of Iowa grocery shoppers saying they trust Iowa farmers in this year’s index.

“The annual Iowa Farm Bureau Food and Farm Index provides valuable insight into factors that influence food purchasing decisions for Iowa consumers and helps gauge sentiment toward agriculture and food production today,” says Johnson.

“Earning the trust of Iowans when it comes to protecting the environment and caring for our animals is a source of great pride for farmers and something we take seriously.”

In addition to placing trust in Iowa farmers, many shoppers say they are given enough information about farmers’ production of the food they eat and sourcing of the food they buy at the grocery store.

When making food purchase decisions, 75% of shoppers still look to labels for information about how or where the food they’re buying was grown, raised or processed.

“This year’s survey found the most sought-after labels reflect products raised or grown locally, which is a nod to the trust placed in Iowa farmers,” says Johnson.

“Iowa farmers continuously innovate to grow and raise healthy and affordable food options for consumers, and it’s clear Iowans value and trust food with that local, family farm connection.”

Iowa Farm Bureau Food & Farm Index

The annual survey, now in its 11th year, was conducted online by The Harris Poll, May 29-June 12. It asked 515 Iowa adults, ages 20 to 60, with primary or shared household grocery shopping responsibilities about their purchasing habits and attitudes.

Data is weighed where necessary by education, age, gender, race/ethnicity, income, size of household, material status and propensity to be online to bring them in line with their actual proportions in the population.

Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in the surveys. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval.

For this study, the sample data is accurate to within +/-6.0 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. This credible interval will be wider among subset of the surveyed population of interest.