Which industry do Americans trust the most?

By Sean Ellis

Idaho Farm Bureau Federation

POCATELLO – Farming is still the industry Americans feel most positive about, according to an annual Gallup poll released in September. 

Agriculture’s overall positive rating in this year’s poll dropped six points compared to last year, but farming still topped the poll, 3 percentage points ahead of the No. 2 restaurant industry and 6 points ahead of the No. 3 computer industry.

The national poll, which began in 2001, asks people whether their overall view of 25 key industries and business sectors is very positive, somewhat positive, neutral, somewhat negative or very negative.

The 2026 poll was conducted Aug. 3-24 and released Sept. 17.

Twenty-four percent of poll respondents said they felt very positive about farming and agriculture and 30 percent felt somewhat positive about the industry, giving it a 54 percent total positive rating. The restaurant industry had a 51 percent total positive rating.

Farming and agriculture and restaurants were the only two industries with a total positive rating from a majority of Americans in this year’s poll.

The computer industry ranked third with a 48 percent positive rating.

Farming easily had the highest “very positive” rating at 24 points. The computer industry received the next-highest “very positive” rating at 18.

Teton farmer Dwight Little was happy to hear that Americans view farming more favorably than they do any other industry.

“It makes us feel like we’re making a difference,” he said. “We are making sure people can have a full tummy.”

“Either we’ve done a good job letting people know what we do,” he added, “or they really appreciate the fact they can go to the grocery store and buy anything they want….”

Twin Falls County farmer Rick Pearson is pleased with the Gallup poll ranking but he’s not surprised that people trust farmers. He said he often makes thousand-dollar deals with fellow farmers with just a handshake.

“We live amongst very good people,” he said about farming in general. “It’s good to know that people trust us. We must be doing something right.”

Though it topped the poll again, farming and agriculture’s total positive rating slipped 6 points this year compared with the 2025 poll.

In addition, 24 percent of Americans responding to the Gallup poll felt neutral about farming and agriculture, while 11 percent felt somewhat negative and 10 percent very negative about the industry.

Farming’s 6-point slip in positive ratings in this year’s poll might have something to do with partisanship, according to a Gallup news release announcing this year’s poll numbers.

“Partisans’ average industry ratings are typically more positive when the sitting president is from their party,” the news release states.

It notes that farming and agriculture and the oil and gas industry have generally received higher ratings from Republicans than Democrats, while the movie industry has typically been rated more positively by Democrats.

“Those historical differences are evident in the current ratings,” the release states.

The poll reveals a very skeptical American public that doesn’t hand out positive ratings willy-nilly.

According to Gallup, “The average positive rating [this year] across all 25 sectors is 36%, marking the sixth consecutive year it has been under 40%. The record-low average rating was 34% in 2008, while the record high was 49% in 2017.”

It's of note that the top two industries in this year’s poll both have to do with food. However, the grocery industry didn’t fare so well, as it only received a 37-point total positive rating and ranked well down the list.

At the bottom of this year’s poll were the usual suspects: The federal government, with a 19-point total positive rating, was at the very bottom, followed by the advertising and PR industry (26), pharmaceutical industry (28), and the oil and gas industry (30).