By Jayne Johnson
Floridians are largely unfamiliar with the policies that regulate the safety and accessibility of food, according to a recent study by the UF/IFAS Center for Public Issues Education.
The PIE Center surveyed Florida residents to understand how well they understand food-related issues. Understanding the opinions and attitudes of consumers is key to developing more informed citizens and policymakers, according to PIE Center Director Tracy Irani.
“I think that’s the role we play as a public opinion research and outreach center in an institute like IFAS,” Irani said. “Food production and agricultural practices are important to look at from the standpoint of public opinion.”
Respondents were asked to indicate their level of familiarity about four food-related policies: the Farm Bill, the Food Safety Modernization Act, the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The majority of the survey’s respondents were not knowledgeable about any of them.
Fifty-seven percent of respondents were not at all familiar with the Farm Bill, and 71 percent were not at all familiar with the Food Safety Modernization Act.
Respondents were most familiar with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which offers nutritional assistance and food stamps to low-income families. Twelve percent of respondents were extremely familiar with SNAP and 14 percent were moderately familiar.
Lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives approved a $4 billion cut to SNAP, which is part of the Farm Bill.
Irani said she was “fascinated” that so few respondents said they knew about the Food Safety Modernization Act and the Farm Bill despite frequent media coverage.
“Consumers might not be paying attention to the coverage, which could be the case, or they’re maybe not feeling that news or other sources are giving them information about these pieces of legislation in the form and at the level that they can use it,” she said.
The Farm Bill, which is the federal government’s primary agricultural and food-related policy, is modified about every five years. The 2008 Farm Bill expired in 2012, but Congress extended it as legislators continue to debate and revise.
Even though the Senate Agricultural Committee approved its version of a 2013 Farm Bill in May, The House and Senate’s agricultural committees continue to debate provisions to their farm bills. Revisions in their farm bills will affect crop insurance, farm commodity support and nutrition assistance programs.
President Barack Obama signed the Food Safety Modernization Act into law in 2011. The law was created to protect the food supply in the United States by preventing food contamination
Voters need to be informed to make decisions about food policies that affect them, according to PIE Center researcher Joy Rumble.
“The results show an opportunity to communicate with consumers about what policies are in place surrounding some of these food issues,” said Rumble, assistant professor in the Department of Agricultural Education and Communication. “If the public is more engaged and interested in existing policy, they’ll be informed about what other policies need to be in place to match their concerns.”
