Voting with your Grocery List: Increasing Consumer Confidence along the Food Chain
Consumers in the United States demand quality food. Consumers demand safe food—but more than demanding it, they expect that the food they feed their families is safe. Over the last several years, however, consumers have also been weighing in on other factors; they’ve been making their preferences known at the cash register and voting with their grocery lists.
Food choices today in the U.S. are almost endless, allowing consumers to purchase products that match their budgets, nutritional needs and their values. But with the majority of American consumers being at least three generations removed from the farm, there is increasing confusion and misinformation about the processing and production of food. Farmers and ranchers as well as food processors in general are vulnerable to the decisions made by misinformed customers and consumers.