Colorado Department of Agriculture identified the need to better understand how: a) the citizens of Colorado viewed the agricultural industry as a whole; b) the public perceives emerging policies meant to support or influence the role of agriculture in Colorado; and c) and how the Department's own programs were valued.
Colorado attitudes about food and agriculture includes a few key points: 1) There is broad-based agreement that agriculture is an important part of Colorado's economy, and its quality of life and serves the state well in providing safe food at a reasonable cost. 2) There are some minor differences in the strength of support and confidence between those who live or were raised on a farm and those without such background. 3) Agricultural production practices are generally believed to be usually necessary to feed the population and safe; however, this is one area where there is some level of disagreement among our citizens, particularly related to GMOs. 4) There appears to be a role for Colorado Department of Agriculture programs, information relayed through labels, produce calendars and contacts at food retail sites, and agritourism, so perhaps those educational options can be better coordinated in the future.
