Story perspectives

Survey Bias: Larger Farms Skew EU Farmers' Opinions

1/10/2026

Summary

Story summary

A Croplife-sponsored Ipsos survey conducted in spring 2025, among nearly 2,000 farmers in nine EU countries, raised representativeness concerns.
Kees Jansen of Wageningen University argues the survey disproportionately represented larger farms that align with pesticide industry interests.
Respondents' farm sizes exceeded national averages, suggesting sampling bias.
Jansen criticized the web intercept method for not capturing farmers’ motivations.
Overall, the findings may not reflect the broader EU farming community’s views.

History

Historical Context

The European Union's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), implemented in 2015, allocates around €58 billion annually to support farmers and enhance food security. However, concerns about its focus on larger farms have persisted, echoing criticisms from previous years. Recent surveys indicate that biased data collection could undermine the policy's effectiveness, emphasizing the need for more inclusive approaches in agricultural research.

1 of 2

Story summary

A Croplife-sponsored Ipsos survey conducted in spring 2025, among nearly 2,000 farmers in nine EU countries, raised representativeness concerns.
Kees Jansen of Wageningen University argues the survey disproportionately represented larger farms that align with pesticide industry interests.
Respondents' farm sizes exceeded national averages, suggesting sampling bias.
Jansen criticized the web intercept method for not capturing farmers’ motivations.
Overall, the findings may not reflect the broader EU farming community’s views.

1 / 2