Survey Says Consumers Want to Buy Local and Preserve Farmland for Farming

ANNAPOLIS, MD (Dec. 17, 2009) – The 2010 Policy Choices Survey by the University of Baltimore Schaefer Center for Public Policy found that 78 percent of Marylanders are more likely to buy produce that is identified as having been grown by a Maryland farmer. Further supporting agriculture, a full 94 percent of those surveyed said that it is at least “somewhat important” that the state preserve land for farming. The results were consistent with last year’s survey, showing steady support for Maryland agriculture.  Additionally the survey revealed increased understanding of the impact of stormwater runoff from urban areas, runoff from residential areas and lawns, and growth and development as major threats to the Bay.

“Consumer response to this survey is good news for Maryland farmers,” said Governor Martin O’Malley.  “The results show that Marylanders understand that preserving farmland and buying locally are essential to keeping Maryland smart, green and growing.  This knowledge helps our efforts to protect and strengthen our growing middle class, our family owned farms and businesses, while restoring the health of the environment, especially the Chesapeake Bay, for all to enjoy.”

Sustainable agriculture strengthens rural economies, keeps land open and in production rather than being developed, and protects natural resources and the local food supply.  Through decades of installing on-farm best practices and centuries of working the land, farmers are some of Maryland’s strongest conservationists.
Marylanders are also concerned about environmental impacts

“There is nothing more important to a farmer than healthy, productive land and water,” said Agriculture Secretary Buddy Hance. “Farmers can’t make a living or provide the healthy food, scenic farms and strong quality of life that consumers want if they don’t protect our natural resources. This survey indicates public support for farming and the funding needed for farmers to continue taking the strongest environmental protection measures. It also reveals that consumers understand that there are multiple sources of Chesapeake Bay degradation.”

For Maryland and the other Bay watershed states, all sources will need to reduce pollutant load levels to meet water quality standards mandated through President Obama’s Executive Order on Chesapeake Bay Protection and Restoration. One of the greatest challenges to Bay restoration is continued population growth and development and its associated stormwater runoff, which is now the fastest-growing source of pollution to the Bay.

The telephone survey of 815 adult Marylanders also found that residents are concerned about the environment, but did not delve into their understanding of the environmental pressures.  Industrial discharge (86%) and sewage treatment plants (76%) were perceived to pose the most serious threats to the health of the Bay.  Sixty-six percent of those surveyed identified farm runoff as having a major impact on the Bay while 61 percent said stormwater runoff from urban areas was a major impact.  Fifty-seven percent saw growth and development as a major threat (up from 50% last year) while 44 percent thought runoff from residential lawns and backyards was a major threat to the Bay (up from 31% last year). Additionally, 38 percent of respondents saw automobile emissions as a major threat (down from 46 % last year).

The Maryland Department of Agriculture has participated in the Schaefer Center Policy Choices Survey since 2002 to gauge public opinion about a number of farming issues and consumer preferences. The telephone survey is conducted annually.  The 2010 survey has a margin of error of +/- 3.43 percent at the 95 percent confidence level.

Over the years that MDA has participated in the survey, support for farmland preservation has risen as has consumer desire for local products.  The identification of sources of impacts to the Bay has remained steady.  More information about and results from the survey can be found online at http://scpp.ubalt.edu.