Getting back the consumer’s trust

We’ve lost some of the trust that consumers have in farmers. It’s a sad fact that has us scratching our heads. After all, most farms are family operated and have been in the same family for generations upon generations. Our deep, unwavering respect towards our animals and the land we grow food on probably hasn’t changed much either. Yet, we, as food producers, are being questioned more than ever, especially when the cold hard facts of a safe, nutritious, affordable food supply is right in front of them (and in their stomachs.) Charlie Arnot, CEO, Center for Food Integrity, discussed recent research about how consumers develop trust during Wisconsin’s Dairy Business Association Annual Business Conference held December 1 and 2 in Madison, Wis. Visit their website to learn more about what was covered at the 10th annual meeting.

The Center For Food Integrity is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to building consumer trust and confidence in the contemporary U.S. food system. They partnered with various ag-based producer groups to research how consumers build trust in farmers. The result: we might be fighting with the wrong sword. I am sure, at one time or another, each one of us has dealt with consumer questions by spouting off data, numbers, and scientific facts. Besides making the nonfarm public feel like they are in upper-level biology at Harvard, science isn’t what consumers trust first and foremost. “Communicating our ethics and shared values is four to five times more effective,” Arnot said. To put things in a different way, Arnot cited Theodore Roosevelt who said, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

The good news is that farmers do care, and we don’t have to lie about it. Its just a matter of sharing our shared values first, science second.