Farmers’ outreach ef­­forts are helping consumers feel more com­­fortable with food made from genetically modified crops and animal care in modern livestock farms, according to industry leaders who spoke last week at the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation Economic Summit in Ames.

By working through Farm Bur­eau and other groups to share personal stories and by being open and genuine with consumers, farmers are making a difference in these two often-contentious and critically important issues, said Doyle Karr, director of biotech policy for DuPont Pioneer, and Dean Danilson, vice president of animal well-being programs at Tyson Foods.

"I really think we are making progress in...