| Voters Support Farm Conservation Efforts
America’s farms and ranches are important to the nation’s voters and not just for their locally grown food. A poll released this summer shows 81 percent of voters value farms and ranches for the conservation benefits they provide, like cleaner air and water and wildlife habitat. And not only do voters want the federal government to support programs securing 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 strong support for American agriculture, with voters saying they want their food to come from within the United States. “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 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.” California Biodiversity News: Volume 8, Number 2 |