A Survey of Registered Voters in IA, MI, MN, NE, and AR

A survey of registered voters across five U.S. states reveals significant concern over extreme weather, trade wars, and water pollution as threats to agriculture. There is broad support for government programs that help farmers build "living soil" and protect soil health, with a majority of respondents indicating they would be more likely to support a political candidate proposing such measures.

• Voters in the surveyed states identify extreme weather, trade wars, and water pollution as significant threats to local farmers and communities. For example, 78% of Nebraska voters and 71% of Minnesota voters view extreme weather like droughts and floods as a "Very significant threat". Trade wars and loss of markets are also highly rated, with 62% of Michigan voters calling it a "Very significant threat".
• There is strong support for government initiatives to help farmers adopt practices that build "living soil" to improve nutrients, water retention, and pollution reduction. Support for such programs is high across all five states, with 58% of Michigan voters and 53% of Minnesota voters stating they "Strongly support" these programs.
• Respondents favor specific government mechanisms to safeguard agriculture, particularly tax benefits and direct payments. Between 52% and 71% of voters in the five states consider offering tax credits or benefits to be "One of the most important ways to safeguard agriculture". Similarly, 44% to 56% of respondents view paying farmers to cover the cost of soil-protecting practices as one of the most important methods.
• A majority of voters in all five states would be more likely to support a 2020 presidential or public office candidate who proposed protecting and building up soil. This sentiment is strongest in Minnesota (70%) and Iowa (64%).
• Perceptions of climate change's impact on local agriculture vary by state, with 65% of Minnesota voters and 63% of Michigan voters answering "Yes" when asked if climate change is affecting agriculture in their area, compared to 49% of Arkansas voters.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2019). A Survey of Registered Voters in IA, MI, MN, NE, and AR. https://ucs-documents.s3.amazonaws.com/food-environment/raba-ucs-5-state-toplines-nov2019.pdf

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. A Survey of Registered Voters in IA, MI, MN, NE, and AR. 2019. https://ucs-documents.s3.amazonaws.com/food-environment/raba-ucs-5-state-toplines-nov2019.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=A Survey of Registered Voters in IA, MI, MN, NE, and AR |date=26 November 2019 |url=https://ucs-documents.s3.amazonaws.com/food-environment/raba-ucs-5-state-toplines-nov2019.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2019survey, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{A Survey of Registered Voters in IA, MI, MN, NE, and AR}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2019}, month = nov, url = {https://ucs-documents.s3.amazonaws.com/food-environment/raba-ucs-5-state-toplines-nov2019.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }