Consumer Insights on Trust-Building Transparency J.J. Jones jj.jones@foodintegrity .org 28 January 2016
TO EARN CONSUMER TRUST IN TODAY’S FOOD SYSTEM
CFI strives to: Be a Leading Voice in a Balanced Public
Conversation about Food Align the Culture of Today’s Food System Convene, Empower and Support Food
System Stakeholders
The Center for Food Integrity
Social/Consumer Decision Making
Consumers are asking more
questions about food
Scarcity of Food
Abundance of Food
No Trust
Complete Trust
Schwartz-Grant Inverted-U
Today’s consumersShifting societal attitudes
Many choices, Many voicesMistrust in farming and food
Desire to know/trust farmers
Historical Perspective: Decline of Trust
THEN NOW
Authority is granted primarily by office
Broad social consensus driven by WASP males
Communication is formal, indirect (mass
communication)Progress is inevitable
“Big” is respected
Authority is granted primarily by relationshipNo single social consensus, great diversity, many voicesCommunication is informal, direct (masses of communicators)Progress is possible“Big” is bad
Consolidated, Integrated, Industrialized
What’s Your Communication Goal?
PERSUADE
EDUCATE
Our Goals Should Be...
Embrace the skepticismConsumer concerns are
realPerception is their reality
Share your values
Building trusts requires a new approach
CFI Trust Model
VALUE SIMILARI
TY
CONFIDENCE
COMPETENCE
INFLUENTIAL
OTHERS
TRUST
SOCIAL LICENSE
FREEDOM TO
OPERATE
Trust research was published in
the December
2009 Journal of
Rural Sociology
Shared values are 3-5x more important in
building trust than sharing facts or demonstrating technical skills/expertise
What Drives Consumer Trust?
TRUST
SHARED
VALUESFACTS
“No one cares how much you know,
until they know how much you care.”
- Theodore Roosevelt
Leading from the heart led Plum Organics to the topFood NavigatorElizabeth Crawford
“The secret to Plum Organics’ rapid ascent to
the top of the organic baby, toddler and
children’s food industry is its deeply engrained
philosophy to ’lead with the heart.”
Neil Grammer, CEO
Food is necessary traditional personal
Thank You 2015 Research Sponsors
National Sponsors
Additional Sponsors
Thank You 2015 Research Sponsors
State Sponsors
TrustMotivation Bias
Shared Values
Foundation to Building Trust
TransparencyEffective Mechanism for Overcoming Motivation Bias
Role of Transparency in Promoting Trust
Moms Only 15%
Millenials Only12%
None Segment: Not Moms, Not Millenials, Not Foodies
43%
Foodies Only8%
Moms and Millennials 8%Moms and Foodies
5%
Millennials and Foodies 6%
Moms, Millennials and Foodies
3%
Segments Overlap; Just Under Half Not Classified
Share nutrition info (9.03)
Main Foodie Behaviors
FoodiesGeneral Population
Seek out info on ingredients used in food eaten (9.23)
Seek out info on ingredients used in food eaten (6.39)
Share info about cooking (9.17)
Share info about cooking (6.26)
Share info about food safety (9.11)
Share recipes with others (6.35)
Share nutrition info (5.84)
Seek out info about how food processing affects food safety (9.00)
Share recipes with others (9.14)
Rising Energy Costs (63%)
Keeping Healthy
Food Afford-
able (68%)
U.S. Economy
(69%)
Rising Cost of Food (70%)
Rising Health Care Costs (73%)
Women were more concerned
about most issues than men
Additional Food System Concerns*
• Food Safety (62%)• Enough to Feed U.S. (53%)• Humane Treatment of Farm Animals (47%)
Lowest concern was for having enough food to feed people outside the U.S. (31%)
All of the Most Concerning Life Issues are Beyond the Consumer’s Direct Control
1. Keeping Healthy Food Affordable
2. Rising Cost of Food3. Rising Health Care
Costs4. U.S. Economy5. Rising Energy Costs
1. Rising Cost of Food2. Rising Health Care Costs3. Keeping Healthy Food Affordable4. U.S. Economy5. Rising Energy Costs
Top Concerns About Issues by Segment
Moms
Millennials
1. Keeping Healthy Food Affordable
2. Rising Health Care Costs
3. Rising Cost of Food 4. U.S. Economy5. Rising Energy Costs
Top Concerns About Issues by Segment
Foodies
Foodies Expressed a Higher
Level of Concern
1. Rising Cost of Food2. Rising Health Care Costs3. Keeping Healthy Food
Affordable4. U.S. Economy5. Rising Energy Costs
Early Adopter
Right Direction/Wrong Track
2013 2014 2015Right Direction
34% 42% 40%
Wrong Track 38% 30% 27%Unsure 28% 27% 33%
Right Direction/Wrong Track 2014/2015
Early Adopters36% / 33%believe the
food system is on the wrong
track
48% / 49%Right
Direction
32% / 31%Wrong Track
Right Direction/Wrong Track 2014/2015
Right/Wrong Moms Millennials Foodies
Right Direction
36% / 31% 41% / 41% 49% / 50%
WrongTrack
35% / 32% 33% / 26% 35% / 30%
Unsure 29% / 37% 26% / 33% 16% / 20%
Consumers Search Online and Watch Local TV for Info for Food System Issues
Ranked First as Info Sourceon Food System Issues
Web Sites 21%
Local TV Station
15%
Friends-Not
Online13%
Family-Not
Online 13%
Google10%
Trust-Building Transparency
2015 Consumer Trust Research
Transparency Modeling
Company Trust
Global Transparency in
Topic
PoliciesIllustrative Policies
PracticesIllustrative Practices
Performance
VerificationIllustrative Verification
TrustMotivation Bias
Shared Values
Foundation to Building Trust
TransparencyEffective Mechanism for Overcoming Motivation Bias
Role of Transparency in Promoting Trust
Company Trust
Global Transparency in
Topic
PoliciesIllustrative Policies
PracticesIllustrative Practices
Performance
VerificationIllustrative Verification
Transparency Model Per Topical Area
SIX TOPICS of Global Transparency: • IMPACT OF PRODUCTS ON HEALTH• FOOD SAFETY• IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT• HUMAN/LABOR RIGHTS• TREATMENT OF ANIMAL RAISED FOR FOOD• BUSINESS ETHICS IN FOOD PRODUCTION
Impact of Policies, Practices, Performance and Verification on Global Transparency
41
Performance
Global Transparency
in Food on Safety
Practices
Policies
VerificationPractices
Global Transparency in Impact of Food on Health
Performance
Policies
VerificationVerification
Global Transparency Impact on the Environment
Practices
Policies
PerformancePerformance
Global Transparency
in Labor/ Human Rights
Practices
Policies
VerificationPolicies
Global Transparency
in Tx of Animals
Practices
Performance
VerificationPerformance
Global Transparency
in Business Ethics
Practices
Policies
Verification
Practices were most predictive of Global Transparency in 5 out of 6 topical areas
• Policy – Is what I’m supposed to do
• Performance – My track record tells you what I did
• Verification – Is someone else validating my performance (table stakes for food safety and animal well-being)
• Practices – Are what I do. They are my values in action and a concrete way for me to illustrate my motives are aligned with yours
Aligning The Models
Consumers Primarily Hold Food Companies Responsible for Transparency
0% 50% 100%
42
49
40
38
37
41
27
30
32
37
28
28
16
11
15
13
17
16
15
10
14
12
17
15
Food Companies Farmers Grocery Stores Restaurants
Impact of Food Products on Health
(n=2001)
Food Safety
Impact of Food Produc-tion on the Environment
Labor and Human Rights
Treatment of Animals Raised for Food
Business Ethics in Food Production
Recommended Best Practices for Impact on the Environment
Predictive Practices for Impact on the EnvironmentProvides information about any impacts of food packaging on the environment, on the company website
Provides information on any corrective actions taken on violations of environmental regulations on the company website
Provides information about the disposal of the chemicals used in their food production, including sanitizers, refrigerants and petroleum products, on the company website Provides a way to ask questions about the company’s environmental stewardship on its website Responds to consumer inquiries about the company’s environmental stewardship in easy to understand language
Recommended Best Practices of Transparency in Labor and Human RightsPredictive Practices for Labor and Human Rights
Provides information about working conditions of laborers, who work to provide products or ingredients for the company, on the company web site
Provides a way to ask questions about the company’s labor and human rights practices on its website
Provides labor and human rights information through the company website
Provides information about the company’s relationship with the community in which food is produced, on the company website
Responds to consumer inquiries about the company’s labor and human rights practices in easy to understand language
Provides labor and human rights information through a QR code on the product package, which can be accessed through your smart phone
Recommended Best Practices of Transparency in the Treatment of Animals Raised for Food
Predictive Practices for Treatment of Animals Raised for Food
Provides information on how animals are raised through the website
Provides a way to ask questions about the treatment of animals raised for food for the company, on its website
Responds to consumer inquiries about the treatment of animals raised for food for the company in easy to understand language
Provides information on animal care through the website
Provides online videos showing how animals are raised, on the company website
Provides information on animal care through a QR code on the product package, which can be accessed through your smart phone
• Transparency is the key to overcoming the “Big is Bad” bias. It is no longer optional – it is a basic consumer expectation.
• Consumers want information on company practices – practices are an illustration of values in action and values drive trust.
• Consumers want the ability to engage. They want to be heard and acknowledged and they want straight answers to their questions.
Trust-Building Transparency Takeaways
Tracking Attitudes Toward the U. S. Food Supply Over Time
2014
2015
5%
6%
41%
35%
55%
60%
Two Year Tracking Comparison
0 to 3 4 to 7 8 to 10
2015 Mean = 7.602014 Mean = 7.46
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 20157.00
7.25
7.50
7.75
8.00
7.68
7.41
7.08
7.297.20
7.14
7.28
7.46
7.60
Yearly Mean Tracking
“If farm animals are treated decently and humanely, I have no problem consuming meat, milk and eggs.”
2014
2015
20%
19%
56%
57%
24%
25%
Two Year Tracking Comparison
0 to 3 4 to 7 8 to 10
2015 Mean = 5.582014 Mean = 5.54
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 20154.30
4.80
5.30
5.80
6.30
5.02
4.80
5.50
5.89
5.385.24
5.58
5.54
5.58
Yearly Mean Tracking
“U.S. meat is derived from humanely treated animals.”
2014
2015
7%
7%
41%
40%
53%
53%
Two Year Tracking Comparison
0 to 3 4 to 7 8 to 10
2015 Mean = 7.352014 Mean = 7.32
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 20156.50
6.75
7.00
7.25
7.50
6.91
6.81
7.22
6.72 6.70
7.31 7.32 7.35
Yearly Mean Tracking
“I would support a law in my state to ensure the humane treatment of farm animals.”
2014
2015
32%
41%
46%
41%
22%
19%
Two Year Tracking Comparison
0 to 3 4 to 7 8 to 10
2015 Mean = 4.412014 Mean = 4.86
2011 2012 2013 2014 20154.00
4.25
4.50
4.75
5.00
4.23
4.03
4.47
4.86
4.41
Yearly Mean Tracking
“The U.S. has a responsibility to provide food for the rest of the world.”
2014
2015
17%
22%
53%
50%
30%
28%
Two Year Tracking Comparison
0 to 3 4 to 7 8 to 10
2015 Mean = 5.602014 Mean = 5.98
2012 2013 2014 20155.00
5.50
6.00
6.50
5.60 5.67
5.98
5.60
Yearly Mean Tracking
“Family farms are likely to put their interests ahead of my interests.”
2014
2015
6%
6%
45%
43%
50%
50%
Two Year Tracking Comparison
0 to 3 4 to 7 8 to 10
2015 Mean = 7.222014 Mean = 7.19
2012 2013 2014 20156.85
7.10
7.35
7.60
6.86
7.20 7.197.22
Yearly Mean Tracking
“Commercial farms are likely to put their interests ahead of my interests.”
2014
2015
11%
13%
47%
48%
41%
39%
Two Year Tracking Comparison
0 to 3 4 to 7 8 to 10
2015 Mean = 6.502014 Mean = 6.57
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 20155.50
6.00
6.50
7.00
6.13
5.88
5.85
5.73
6.116.22
6.446.57
6.50
Yearly Mean Tracking
“Food grown organically is more healthful than conventionally grown food.”
2014
2015
8%
10%
47%
45%
45%
45%
Two Year Tracking Comparison
0 to 3 4 to 7 8 to 10
2015 Mean = 6.812014 Mean = 6.90
2013 2014 20156.50
6.75
7.00
7.25
6.91 6.90
6.81
Yearly Mean Tracking
“I am more concerned about healthy eating than I was a year ago.”
2014
2015
3%
3%
49%
51%
47%
46%
Two Year Tracking Comparison
0 to 3 4 to 7 8 to 10
2015 Mean = 7.222014 Mean = 7.15
2013 2014 20157.00
7.25
7.50
7.75
7.03
7.157.22
Yearly Mean Tracking
“I feel confident about the food choices I make for my family.”
2014
2015
17%
18%
55%
56%
28%
25%
Two Year Tracking Comparison
0 to 3 4 to 7 8 to 10
2015 Mean = 5.702014 Mean = 5.84
2014 20155.50
5.75
6.00
6.25
5.84
5.70
Yearly Mean Tracking
“I trust today’s food system.”