Support for Colorado agriculture remains strong

Colorado

From water issues to food safety Coloradans continue to support the state's agriculture industry. A study conducted by the Colorado Department of Agriculture, in conjunction with Colorado State University found that 74 percent of Coloradans believe agriculture is very important to the quality of life in the state.

"It is comforting to know that even through hard times such as drought, Coloradans continue to support farmers and ranchers in the state," said Don Ament, Commissioner of the Colorado Department of Agriculture. "Coloradans prefer to know where their food comes from and trust our producers to provide a quality product."

The study has been conducted every five years since 1996. The purpose of the 2006 study is to understand how Coloradans currently perceive agriculture and whether those perceptions have changed over the past ten years.

Survey highlights:

--92% said that they would purchase more Colorado grown and processed products if they were available and identified as being from Colorado.

--87% agree that food produced in Colorado is almost always or usually safe.

--86% feel that agriculture provides food at a reasonable price in Colorado.

--73% believe agriculture should be the top priority for water use in a dry year.

--34% rank agriculture as the most important economic sector in the state.

--Respondents believe that it is important to maintain agricultural land and water in production because it provides food and fiber, open space, wildlife habitat and economic benefits.

Results from this year's survey remained relatively unchanged from previous studies. Survey questions ranged from managing land and water to pesticide use and genetically engineered food.

For more information, contact the Colorado Department of Agriculture at 303-239-4119 or Colorado State University at 970-491-5487. Complete survey results are available online at www.coloradoagriculture.com.

Date: 11/21/06

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