Are Millennials game-changers in the food and Ag economy?

Ben Nuelle, Iowa Agribusiness Radio Network -Millennial “foodies” make up one-eighth of the U.S. population.

Believe it or not, they are impacting the Ag supply chain. Eve Turow Paul is author of “A Taste of Generation Yum”. The book focuses on how millennials interact with food. Paul says millennials are forcing the Ag supply chain to pivot.

“It hasn’t quite woken up realized it yet. But a lot of food entrepreneurs are coming to terms with the fact their consumers are looking for organic and local goods the current supply chain does not support.”

She says technology has played an important role.

“Young people today are expressing themselves through food. They are forming communities through food but more than anything, they want something they can understand and they can have autonomy and have control over. Food is one of the easiest most human ways we can control something and influence our health, our kid’s health, the planet’s health. Young people today are coming together and realizing the power within food.”

Paul says big Ag companies need to realize the old system is not going to continue.

“Otherwise a lot of it falls on the farming community to have better marketing initiatives. Also to empathize. This is what our consumer wants let’s try to understand it instead of judging them for it. You need to first understand them and then come up with some way to communicate with them. Whether it is through a marketing campaign or putting farmers in grocery stores or pairing with companies you wouldn’t generally pair up with to explain your point of view. I think there is also an opportunity for everyone in the food community to come together.”

Paul spoke at the Oilseed and Grain Trade Summit Tuesday.

This story was originally published on Iowa Agribusiness Radio Network.