MSU Food Literacy and Engagement Poll: Wave IV

February 14, 2019

Numbers reflected are percentages.

If you needed to, how often could you access fresh fruit and vegetables where you live?


Every day	73
At least once a week	17
At least once a month	4
Rarely	3
Never	0
Not sure	3

How often do you think you consume genetically modified organisms, often called GMOs?


Every day	22
At least once a week	23
At least once a month	7
Rarely	14
Never	7
I'm not sure	27

Using a 1 to 5 scale, where 1 is not at all willing and 5 is very willing, how willing would you be to pay more for food items if their production had a less damaging impact on the environment?


Willing (4-5)	52
Indifferent (3)	30
Not willing (1-2)	18

Do you take steps to reduce the amount of food wasted in your home?


Yes	88
No	12

How do you reduce food waste at home (Among the 88 percent who answered yes)?

Respondents were allowed to choose more than one option.


I try not to buy excess food	71
I often consume food before it spoils	71
I share excess food when possible	34
Other	5

Why not (Among the 12 percent who answered no)?

Respondents were allowed to choose more than one option.


I do not waste food at home	31
I am not familiar with the term "food waste"	23
I do not know how to reduce food waste	21
I am not concerned about food waste	20
I do not have time	18
Other	1

How much food do you think we waste in the United States annually?


Less than 10%	4
10-30%	18
31-50%*	41
51-70%	24
Above 70%	13

*Thirty-one to 50 percent is the correct answer.

Using a scale of 1-5, where 1 is not at all willing and 5 is very willing, how willing would you be to buy a GMO-derived fruit or vegetable that stayed fresh longer than currently available produce?


Willing (4-5)	41
Indifferent (3)	30
Not willing or not at all willing (1-2)	29

A product labeled organic …

Respondents were allowed to choose more than one option.


Is grown without pesticides	55
Meets specific certification standards	47
Is healthier than other foods	39
Is not genetically modified	38
Is grown sustainably	37
Tastes better than other foods	23
None of these	9

How often do you seek information about where your food was grown and how it was produced?


Every day	14
At least once a week	22
At least once a month	15
Rarely	33
Never	16

Using a scale of 1-5, where 1 is not at all appropriate and 5 is very appropriate, how appropriate is it for non-dairy products derived from almonds or soybeans to be labeled as ''milk''? [this adds to 101 percent]


Appropriate or very appropriate (4-5)	41
Neutral (3)	29
Not appropriate or not at all appropriate (1-2)	30

Using a 1 to 5 scale where 1 is not at all likely and 5 is very likely, how likely would you be to purchase foods that look and taste identical to meat, but are based on ingredients that are produced artificially?


Likely (4-5)	31
Somewhat likely (3)	22
Not likely (1-2)	47

Methodology

The Michigan State University Food Literacy and Engagement Poll was conducted online between January 15-21, 2019, among 2,090 U.S. residents aged 18 and over. Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region and household income were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. The poll is administered by Toluna, NA, a leader in online research that manages one of the world’s largest internet-based research panels with more than 4.5 million registered and active users.

All surveys are subject to multiple sources of error. Most of these errors are often impossible to quantify. In addition to sampling error, these errors include coverage error, non-response error, interviewer bias when appropriate, and the error associated with how a question is asked or the response options given. The overall margin of error would be 3 percentage points at the widest interval.

For more on the Michigan State University Food Literacy and Engagement Poll, click here.

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