A Refreshed Vision to Strengthen Trust in Wheat and Grow Domestic Demand
By Sheri Glazier, MS, RDN, LD, Executive Director, Wheat Foods Council, and Oklahoma farmer and rancher
Do you ever recall a moment that quietly guided the trajectory of your career? Many years ago, I was in an undergraduate class, and we watched a documentary presented as an honest picture of agriculture. I was excited that we were actually discussing agriculture, but that excitement quickly turned to frustration at what I saw and heard. I didn’t yet have the confidence to speak up. I had grown up on a wheat and cattle operation, and I knew how our family cared for the land, grew our crops, and looked after our cattle. The documentary told a very different story. At that moment, I realized agriculture didn’t have a voice in that room, and someone else was telling our story.
A Career in the Making
I’ve spent the last decade bridging agriculture and nutrition, connecting the small share of us in agriculture to the people who ultimately eat, which is all of us. Now I’m honored to serve as the new executive director of the Wheat Foods Council, the only farmer-driven domestic marketing organization for wheat in the country.
Our vision: A secure future for U.S. wheat farmers, supported by strong domestic demand and public confidence in wheat.
Our mission: Advance domestic demand for wheat by elevating farmer voices, connecting farmers and consumers, fostering innovation, and aligning the wheat industry around clear, unified messaging.
Two Markets, One Strong Demand Base
Domestic and export markets are important to U.S. wheat farmers, and each does work the other can’t. In 2024/25, about 1.97 billion bushels of U.S. wheat were used: roughly 58 percent (1.14 billion bushels) here at home and about 42 percent (829 million bushels) abroad, according to USDA. Our export customers move a large share of the crop, and the Wheat Foods Council’s focus on domestic demand is meant to work alongside that effort.
A solid, steady base at home makes the whole market stronger, and growing it is the Wheat Foods Council’s job.
Where Consumer Interest is Heading
More Americans are paying attention to how they eat, and wheat fits right in. The 2024 IFIC Food & Health Survey found that 54 percent of Americans followed a specific eating pattern in the past year, up from 38 percent in 2019. Only seven percent followed a low-carb diet, seven percent went gluten-free, and four percent followed keto. The most popular approaches were high protein (20 percent) and mindful eating (18 percent), and neither requires giving up bread, pasta, or tortillas.
Meanwhile, Grain Foods Foundation research from June 2026 shows sourdough and artisan bread consumption rising, driven by taste, texture, and a reputation for being better for you. Sixty-two percent of consumers link visible grains and seeds with better health, and 53 percent associate sourdough with better gut health. Shoppers are also diversifying their pantries: 71 percent of traditional bread buyers also bought tortillas or wraps in the past three months, and 57 percent bought rolls. Consumers are exploring new ways to enjoy wheat, and every new way is a new outlet for what we grow.
Consumers Want to Know More
Today’s shoppers are curious about their food, including what’s in it and where it comes from. In the 2025 IFIC Food & Health Survey, “knowing where the food comes from” was the top food-production factor, cited by 59 percent of Americans, up from 51 percent in 2017. GFF’s research adds that consumers are looking for simpler ingredients without giving up the taste and texture they already love. Farmers are the best people to answer these questions, and that’s an opportunity.
One thing hasn’t changed. For 20 consecutive years, IFIC has found that taste outranks price, healthfulness, and convenience as a purchase driver. People already love what we grow, and we’re excited to keep strengthening their confidence in it.
Building on Trust, and Where You Come In
To build on the trust consumers already have in wheat, we are working to communicate the value of wheat as an ingredient, showcase the production practices farmers use, and support conversations that put wheat to work in new and innovative ways. Our farmers are our most credible messengers, which is why elevating your voices comes first in our mission. When farmers tell this story, people listen.
Stay tuned as the Wheat Foods Council writes this next chapter. I welcome your feedback and insights, because every farm’s story is unique, and yours is worth sharing.
Email: sglazier@nationalwheat.org
Sources: USDA ERS/WAOB, U.S. wheat supply and use by class, 2014/15-2024/25; International Food Information Council, 2024 Food & Health Survey (n=3,000, March 2024) and 2025 Food & Health Survey: A Focus on Food Production (n=3,000, March 2025); Grain Foods Foundation/Ipsos, Understanding Consumer Bread Consumption Habits (n=1,043, June 2026)
