For the first time since Gallup began tracking views on business sectors,  Americans regard farming and agriculture workers more favorably than any other industry, with the sports industry taking a nose dive. The former top-ranking industries -- restaurants and computers -- remain in the top four, with the grocery industry rounding out the group. 

Every type of business and industry has been affected in some way by the coronavirus pandemic. However, Americans' views haven't changed toward most of the 25 major business and industry sectors Gallup tracks. But, the public is expressing greater appreciation for the work of three industries that are crucial to people's wellbeing: farming and agriculture, healthcare, and pharmaceuticals.

Farming and agriculture were already among the top-rated industries before 2020, but it has now moved to No. 1 with a 69% positive rating -- an 11-percentage-point increase.

The grocery industry had a total positive rating of 63%, up from 58% the year prior. The restaurant industry had a total positive rate of 61%, down from 66% in 2019 and a high of 72% in 2017.

The Gallup results are based on telephone interviews conducted July 30-August 12, 2020 with a random sample of 1,031 adults, ages 18+, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. For results based on this sample of national adults, the margin of sampling error is ±4 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.

The Gallup poll’s findings mirror similar findings from a national public opinion poll released by the American Farm Bureau Federation which found that 88% of U.S. adults trust farmers, a 4% increase from AFBF’s June 2020 polling.