1. InfORmATIOn fROm ThE AGRICULTURAL InDUsTRy | November 2011
AGRICULTURAL DIALOGUE 15
EDITORIAL
Dear readers,
This edition of the Agricultural Dialogue
provides important insight into the
perceptions of contemporary farmers and
consumers on the future of agriculture, as
well as attitudes towards one another.
Results from the new BASF Farm
Perspectives Study, a research project
that gathered the opinions of over 1,800
farmers and 6,000 consumers from across
Germany, France, Spain, India, Brazil and
USA, form the basis of this dialogue.
The perceptions and realities of farming In addition to outlining the results of the
survey, and in particular EU perspectives
Farmers provide a vital service to society, and BASF takes pride in providing
generated from the research, we are
them with the tools they need to succeed. At the same time, the way consumers fortunate to also be able to include interviews
feel about food and agriculture is a powerful force – driving retailers and with Prof. Ulrich Oevermann, Professor
markets, farmers’ choices regarding crops and farming techniques, and even of Sociology at the Goethe University of
EU regulation. For everyone involved in agriculture, be it as a policymaker or a Frankfurt who helps us to interpret some of
manufacturer of farming solutions like BASF, it is critical to understand how these the results, and also James Ede, European
two groups really see each other. Public Affairs Manager at Kelloggs who
gives us a manufacturer’s perspective on
The results of the first global BASF ‘Farm Perspectives Study’ have helped to
the survey’s findings.
clarify key points of agreement and disagreement. In particular the research
focused on the image of farmers and farming and the relationship between
consumers and farmers.
Perceived roles of farmers
markus Heldt
Farming is perceived as a vocational, rather than transactional
President, Crop Protection Division, BASF SE
profession by both groups. Farmers view their roles as providing
nourishment, supporting rural culture and, in particular, stewarding
the land. However, there was some regional variation in the response.

2. AGRICULTURAL DIALOGUE 15 2
In Germany, 90% of farmers agreed with the statement
‘I regard myself as a steward of the land’ (similar to Brazil, USA and
India) while only 70-80% gave that response in Spain and France.
A much lower portion of consumers (50-60% in each country), see
farmers as stewards of the land. Instead, consumers regard farmers
mainly as providers (e.g. 80% in Germany). Additionally the statement
‘Farmers are often to blame for environmental problems’ found some
support with consumers: India, France and Brazil around 40%, with
Germany and the USA around one quarter.
Farmers feel they’re not respected
Although farmers have a positive self-image, they view their position
in society negatively. Only a minority of changes (ca. 20% in Germany, Did you know?
France, Spain, Brazil, 33% in the USA) are convinced that they are  In 2010, there were 11 million
respected. In France and Spain this finding is further supported by farmers’ agricultural laborers in the EU
noticeably low levels of satisfaction (53% for France and 63% for Spain). representing roughly 3.3% of the
Disagreement on how to feed the world working population.
 23.1% of the EU 23 land mass was
Farmers and consumers agree that farming’s overriding task is to
crop land and 41.9% was used in
feed the growing world population now and in the future. There is no
agriculture in 2009.
agreement however on how pesticides and fertilizers are regarded
favorably by the majority of Brazilian (81%), American (73%), German  In 2009, only 19% of the EU population
(65%) and Indian (77%) farmers, while Spanish and French farmers lived in a predominantly rural environment.
have a less favorable opinion. The transatlantic divide is clearer on  29% of 6 – 16 year old children in
genetically modified plants, with the majority of US, Brazilian and Indian the UK think cucumbers grow in the
growers in favor and the vast majority in Europe against. ground, 20% think sweetcorn is a root
vegetable, and 17% could not identify a
Despite consumers’ low understanding, farmers take their concerns
daffodil according to a 2011 poll by the
seriously
Royal Horticultural Society.
Importantly, consumers admit that their knowledge of farming is limited,
 The average EU household spends
despite their interest. Farmers know and accept this about their clients,
12.7% of its income on food and non
namely that many ‘are concerned about the food they eat’ (60 – 75% in
alcoholic beverages each month – only
the USA, France and Brazil). Many farmers believe that they should do household maintenance and transport
more to alleviate consumers’ fears. are larger expenditures.
Consumers disconnect quality and price
Farmers are convinced that consumers request prices that are too
low and are not willing to pay for food produced in an especially
environmentally friendly way. In particular EU consumers appear to
confirm the fact (ca. 50% in Germany, USA, Spain and France) that they
are not willing to pay more, even if their ‘requirements are fulfilled’.
Creating a shared view is important for the future
Farming sits at the heart of global challenges like ensuring food
security and addressing climate change. This research reveals
worrying misconceptions and differences of opinion. These threaten
not only to damage farming, but also continued research into new
innovations. Creating greater understanding and unity between these
groups is therefore a critical task.

3. InfORmATIOn fROm ThE AGRICULTURAL InDUsTRy | nOvEmbER 2011 3
About Professor oevermann
Professor Ulrich Oevermann is a
renowned expert on sociology having
served as a Professor for Social
Psychology and Sociology at the Goethe
University Frankfurt since 1977 (Emeritus
since 2008). He has also held positions
as head of research projects at the Max
Planck Institut für Bildungsforschung,
Berlin (1977) and the Luhmann-Professur
at the University of Bielefeld (2010/11).
Professor Oevermann is also the founder
Getting to the root of the issues of the «Objektive Hermeneutik» which is
a method designed to interpret empirical
Professor Ulrich Oevermann is part of the research sociological research. His special
team that conducted the Farm Perspectives Study. fields of research include: socialization
He shares his views on the way farmers and processes, sociology of the family,
consumers see themselves and each other. culture, language and religion, the
theory of professionalization, and the
Your theory that farming is a vocational profession
methodology of social sciences.
rather than a transactional business seems to
have been confirmed by the results of the study. Prof. Oevermann began his work with
Could you offer us a brief explanation of what this BASF in 2009, helping to interpret
means practically in terms of farmer attitudes? qualitative interviews with growers
and other agricultural professionals to
Farmers criticize consumers for not being prepared to pay higher prices
understand their professional self-image
for more environmentally-friendly products, not caring about sustainability
and key challenges. He also assisted in
and not fully realizing the challenges that farmers face in providing food
the creation of the study questionnaire
for a growing population. But at the same time farmers identify with the
and continues to work with BASF to
consumers’ objective interests in secure food and the protection of the
interpret the results.
environment. Farmers think that the consumers’ concerns regarding
these issues are legitimate. This is the best proof that the farmer sees the
consumer as a client and not simply as a customer. Furthermore, farmers
see themselves as providers, as stewards of the land and as backbones of
Consumers’ understanding of farming
their rural community, that means as administrators of common issues and
goods in three essential aspects.
Does this mean the farming community lacks commercial motivation? France 33 50
Not at all. At the same time, farmers identify with their role as a businessperson Germany 27 53
and they are routinized in calculating their farming business as entrepreneurs
in a very sophisticated way. And they don’t see a contradiction between USA 33 55
their responsibilities as environmental experts and as businesspeople.
Spain 32 64
Farmers are often more open to innovative, science-led, farming
solutions than the general public. Do the results of this and your other Brazil 36 70
research give you any insight as to why?
India 64 84
Farmers are usually very professionalized, that means they know - and feel
- the tensions between the necessity of exploiting natural resources and
Consumers’ Consumers’
conserving nature as a resource. And farmers know exactly that they, as understanding overall interest
experts in handling this tension, have to follow methodically and rationally
the results of scientific research.
Results in %, Base: All consumers, n=1.000 per country

4. AGRICULTURAL DIALOGUE 15 InfORmATIOn fROm ThE AGRICULTURAL InDUsTRy | nOvEmbER 2011 4
If farmers play such a vital role in our society, why are their opinions
and perspectives so often marginalised by broader public opinion and James ede is European
Public Affairs Manager
government policy?
for Kelloggs, having
The big majority of the population increasingly lives at an experiential distance previously been Assistant
Director at the British
to farming. Instead of direct experiences, the public receives abstract
Agricultural Bureau.
knowledge through books and media reports. This distance is coupled
with certain generationally-conditioned attitudes toward technology and What surprised you
about the results
innovation. In a huge world-wide movement, much of the public is oriented
of this study? The
abstractly to organic, biological production and they are often used to seeing results highlight that
farmers as conservative and indolent people. From the public’s perspective, different stakeholders are feeling isolated and
especially in Europe, farmers are still the producers of food surplus and not ignored. I think with the amount of interest in
yet the providers for a growing population. The environmental discourse is food and agriculture currently there’s a huge
dominated by the media so that the positions of consumers and policymakers opportunity to address this. As well as more
communication, the increasing exposure of
reinforce each other without giving the farmers’ position a serious chance of
the food chain to the global market is creating
explicating itself. opportunities to drive supply chain integration.
If we can achieve this we will be far better
What impact do you think consumers’ high interest in but low
placed to meet upcoming challenges such as
understanding of farming has on agricultural and food policy? Are market stability, food security and resource
consumers the only opinion shapers or do retailers and other parts of the efficiency.
food chain also have an impact?
How does the difference between consumer
and farmer perspectives affect companies in
Probably the most influence comes from NGOs that focus on environmental
the food value chain like yours? Farmers and
problems or the problems of consumers. Meanwhile, food retailers seem to consumers care deeply about price and quality
identify more with the consumers’ side than with the farmers’ side. but this can be from different perspectives.
However, showing better understanding and
Why do you think consumers take a greater interest in, and are more providing greater quality to the consumer does
vocal on the issues related to farming and food production than they are not have to mean a price premium, nor does it
with other industries? need to affect farmers’ incomes. While it is very
important that consumers better understand
Because consumers feel, by intuition, that they are objectively more the relationship between quality and price, it
dependent on farming than on the production of any other commodity, is also important that we don’t shy away from
especially with respect to their life quality. This feeling becomes especially trying to meet market demand.
virulent - according to the results of the study - when consumers have to Is this an issue that you think ought to be
consider an issue in the context of caring for their own children. addressed through a public education
campaign? If so – do you think industry or
To what extent do you think this explains the fact that so many (between government are best placed to conduct
40-50%) consumers express dissatisfaction with farming in their that? Education continues to be one area which
is necessary to develop an accurate, collective
countries? Are there other drivers?
understanding of food and agriculture.
I think that this expression of dissatisfaction has to be taken relatively. This Currently there are a lot of good things
happening in this area like open farm days and
figure is not like a physical measure. It seems to me to be more an expression
food brands directly connecting their products
of participating in the mainstream discourse on the environment than an to regions and farms. Government has a big
expression of real experience. role to play in terms of ensuring understanding
of agriculture and food, however, in an
ImpRInT increasingly diverse media environment there
are challenges to successfully communicate
to all consumers young and old. One size
BASF SE Rainer von Mielecki
does not fit all. It is important that everyone
Agricultural Center Limburgerhof AP/K – Public/Government Affairs in the food chain continues to drive greater
connection in the best ways we can as this will
AP/K - LI555 Phone: +49 (0) 621 / 60-27 511
ultimately result in greater value for all.
67117 Limburgerhof Fax: +49 (0) 621 / 60-27 512
Germany rainer.mielecki@basf.com
For more information about the BASF Farm
perspectives study:
www.agro.basf.com http://www.agro.basf.com/agr/AP-Internet/en/
content/news_room/Farm_Perspective_Study/
BASF_Farm_Perspectives_Study