Voters Like Farms for Conservation

July 12, 2001

U.S. farms and ranches are important to the nation's voters and not just for the food grown on those farms or the livestock raised on those ranches, according to a new poll that 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 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 pesticide residues on food, and 69% of American voters say they are concerned about loss of farmland to development compared with more than 80% who are concerned about public education and gas prices.

Seventy-eight percent of the U.S. 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 approval from 75% who feel income support to the 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 2-21, 2001, with a margin of sampling error of 3.1% in 95 out of 100 cases. The poll, directed by Esseks, was conducted by the Public Opinion Research Laboratory of NIU. The Tarrance Group, Inc., a strategic research and polling firm in Alexandria, VA, provided consulting and analytical services. Funding for the poll was provided by The Joyce Foundation and the members of American Farmland Trust.

American Farmland Trust is a private, nonprofit farmland conservation organization founded in 1980 to stop the loss of productive farmland and to promote farming practices that lead to a healthy environment. Its programs include public education, technical assistance in policy development and demonstration farmland protection projects.