A considerable number do not appreciate technology's role in farming.Ottawa-Canadian consumers are overwhelmingly confident that the country's farmers will be able to keep feeding them, says a poll conducted by the Angus Reid Forum.Ninety-eight per cent of respondents said farmers are the key to domestic and global food security and 80 per cent are confident the farmers will continue to keep them fed, says the 2022 Perceptions of Canadian Agriculture Survey commissioned by Climate FieldView, a digital information provider.However only 67 per cent rated Canada's importance in global food security as very important. Those in the 18 to 34 age group were significantly less likely than older generations to say Canadian farmers are very important, both for domestic and global food security, the survey found.Canadians know farmers “have been facing a wealth of challenges in recent years from an impending recession that is impacting food prices to climate change and extreme weather events, global conflicts, the COVID-19 pandemic, and supply chain disruptions,” the poll said. Despite these challenges, the farmers persevere and “consumers remain confident in their ability to weather the storm.”The poll also found that 62 per cent of Canadians said the extreme weather events of the past year gave them an increased appreciation for agriculture. Extreme weather events and climate change were cited by 37 per cent of respondents as major factors in their increased appreciation while 38 per cent cited limitations on resources such as fewer farmers and less land for farming.When asked about extreme weather events that occurred in the past year, 69 per cent of Ontarians have an increased appreciation for Canadian agriculture, second only to British Columbians at 76 per cent.The poll also found that only 13 per cent of Canadians see agriculture as more innovative than other domestic industries and 16 per cent were unaware of how farmers support sustainability, down from nearly one quarter of Canadians in 2021. Knowledge of agriculture innovation is low, with 36 per cent saying they do not know how it compares to other Canadian industries and 39 per cent expecting it is about the same.Matt Eves, Bayer Digital Farming Lead – Canada, said, “Canadians are making the connection on the importance of Canadian farmers to our food system. Farmers have faced many external challenges in recent years, trying to meet supply demands for Canadians while also striving to innovate to stay ahead of these challenges, while ensuring sustainability remains top of mind."Many Canadian farmers are turning to technology to help make better use of their resources and reduce the impacts of climate change as much as possible, and better manage unexpected issues that may arise, he said. “As a result, modern farms today look much different than the image Canadians might have in their minds.”The poll results show many may not understand the true impact technology and innovation has on farming and sustainability. “Right now, there is a gap in knowledge of the innovation on farms,” Eves said. “Public awareness and support for these advancements will be crucial for the industry to continue to innovate to be more sustainable and resilient in order to face ongoing challenges in the future.”