Page 4 - Impact Winter 2022

BY FRANCES HOMANS
Addressing the& disconnect between
FARM FORK
You can’t turn on the TV or scroll is to prepare students to be successful leaders, social media without seeing ads educators, and communicators in the agricultural, from food companies espousing how food, and natural resources career field. This consumers should feel good about includes teaching them how to talk about their work
eating their products. From ethically raised in a way that’s clear, relatable and engaging. animals, to environmentally conscious supply chains, One of the most exciting ways we’ve been able
to increased transparency about ingredients – to do this is through our AgriCast project, thanks
consumers have more information at their disposal to funding from the CHS Foundation. AgriCast than ever before. is a digital resource library dedicated to sharing
Yet there remains a disconnect between farm and science concepts and stories about agriculture. Here
fork. A recent consumer survey* shows that only 24 you can take virtual field trips to real farms, hear percent of U.S. adults have a high degree of trust podcasts that challenge assumptions or explore a
in the information they receive about where their video library on topics including food and culture,
food is grown and how it is produced. For Generation Z (ages 18 to 25) the high trust level is just 17 percent.
And with only 27 percent of survey respondents reporting a “very favorable” impression of agriculture and food production in the U.S., it
is no surprise that farmers often feel misunderstood and under attack in the public eye.
microbes, and women in agriculture. The resource 17% center also includes lesson plans and other
of Gen Z (ages 18–25) have a high level of trust in information they received about where their food comes from.*
educational activities to help teachers easily integrate our students' videos,
photos, and podcast stories about farms, food, and the environment into their classrooms. It’s all created by our talented CFANS students in
an effort to hone their communication skills while shedding light on complex
At the University of Minnesota College of
Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS) we believe there is an urgent need to bridge this disconnect while at the same time investing in science-based solutions and dynamic partnerships to create a more sustainable global food system.
For the past nine years I’ve been fortunate to head up the Agricultural Education, Communication and Marketing unit within CFANS. Our mission
*This CFANS survey was conducted in January 2022 by ENGINE INSIGHTS, polling a demographically representative sample of 1,022 adults (ages 18+) in the United States.
topics involving the food chain.
At CFANS our goal is to prepare the next
generation of leaders to sustainably solve the biggest challenges of a rapidly growing world. Doing that requires equipping people to teach our kids about agriculture, food and natural resources (AFNR). The demand for AFNR teachers is increasing, including in urban areas. According to the Minnesota Agricultural Education Leadership Council, since 2010, school districts have added 21 AFNR programs and