Research

Overview

Since 2007, the Center for Food Integrity (CFI) has conducted broad-based consumer research to measure and track attitudes on key food system issues. Each wave has built on the previous and has helped create greater understanding of consumer attitudes and the challenges faced by industry stakeholders to building consumer trust in today‘s food system.

From 2007 – 2008, CFI established a trust-building model that has now been peer reviewed and published (December 2009, Journal of Rural Sociology). This pioneering model proves that confidence, or shared values, is three- to five-times more important than demonstrating competence in building consumer trust. Communicating shared values instead of data is a paradigm shift for the food industry in general and agriculture in particular. These findings offer unique insight that allows food system stakeholders to take specific action to build consumer trust.

Past Research

Earlier CFI research proved that connecting with people through shared values is critical for building consumer trust.

Messages and programming that demonstrate shared values align an organization or individual with the public’s ethical expectations and open the door to productive dialogue. Our research tells us providing assurance that food is being raised, grown and brought to market responsibly is three to five times more effective in building consumer trust than scientific or economic justifications.

In other words, consumers don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.

Our 2010 research focused on testing the trust model, messages and programs by adopter segment and using the results to develop messages and recommendations to begin re-defining today’s food system among early adopters, those opinion leading consumers who drive social change.

Using the 2010 research findings, CFI developed a document titled Messages that Matter, which contains a summary of the attitudes in each of the  four areas of the research survey — nutrition, food safety, humane treatment of farm animals, and responsible use of technology — where a statistically significant positive change occurred after participants were given relevant educational material to review. The document contains overarching messages that begin with clear articulation of values and a commitment to responsible food production.

*Request a copy of Messages that Matter today! The full document is available to CFI members, while non-members may request an abbreviated version of the Messages that Matter document.

2011 Consumer Trust Research

Our 2011 national consumer research takes  the next step in identifying what drives consumer confidence so food system stakeholders can more clearly articulate the benefits of today’s system in a way that resonates with the values and needs of consumers.

The 2011 consumer trust survey is the first large-scale nationwide survey asking Americans their opinions about U.S. agricultural policies to help feed the world. According to the survey, a large segment of consumers do not believe U.S. farmers should be responsible for addressing global hunger. And more than half the survey participants strongly agreed that the U.S. should focus more on teaching developing nations how to feed themselves than exporting food to them. These results indicate that the agriculture industry needs to find messages that deliver a direct benefit to consumers or society to build support for today’s farming practices.

The results will be presented in a series of webinars focused on opinion leaders’ thoughts on today's food and consumer perceptions of today's farmers, technology to increase productivity and intensive food production.

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

2011 Early Adopter Web Usage Study

In 2011, CFI facilitated a 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. Specific objectives of the study included gaining a better understanding of the role websites have in forming opinions on key food system issues for early adopters; identifying the websites most used and the type of content most valued by early adopters; and, determining ways to find early adopters on the web and ways to meaningfully engage them.

For more information on the early adopter survey, please click here.