Research

Overview

Since 2007, the Center for Food Integrity (CFI) has been at the forefront of groundbreaking research to measure and track consumer attitudes on key food system issues. This research helps create a greater understanding of consumer attitudes and the challenges faced by industry stakeholders to building trust in today’s food system.

CFI’s peer-reviewed and published trust-building model proves that confidence, or shared values, is three to five times more important than demonstrating competence in building consumer trust. It is this type of unique insight that allows food system stakeholders to take specific action to build consumer trust.

The Research

2007 – CFI conducts first consumer research study to measure and track attitudes on food system issues

2007-2008 – CFI establishes trust-building model proving confidence is three to five times more important than demonstrating competence in building consumer trust

2008 – CFI sustainability model and CFI trust model introduced

2008 – CFI introduces adopter classifications for food issues as a way to identify opinion leaders

2009 – Trust-building model peer-reviewed and published in Journal of Rural Sociology (December 2009)

2010 – Research focused on testing trust model, messages and programs by adopter segment

2010 – CFI creates Messages that Matter containing a summary of attitudes from four areas of research as well as messages that articulate values and a commitment to responsible food production

2011 – CFI conducts first large-scale nationwide survey asking Americans their opinions about U.S. agricultural policies to help feed the world

2011 – CFI facilitates study of early adopters – the segment of society most capable of changing consumer attitudes – to better understand how they use the internet to access information about the food system

2012 – CFI will introduce a new classification  of consumers by value-orientation

Please contact us if you are interested in a 2011 Consumer Trust Research presentation.