WWW.WAS.ORG • WORLD AQUACULTURE • SEPTEMBER 2014 25 the public to understand and support the concept that producing the food we need using fewer resources through responsible production, processing and distribution is the ethical choice for people, animals and the planet. We have learned through focus groups and other qualitative research that consumers trust farmers because they believe farmers share their values (Fig. 3). Unfortunately consumers are not sure that today’s agriculture still qualifies as farming. Why? Generational and geographic distance between farmers and consumers, technological advances in farming and changes in farm size and structure are among the reasons often cited. We see consumer alienation from agriculture and the food system expressed through concerns about nutrition, food safety, affordability, environmental sustainability, animal well-being and other issues. Some argue that maintaining public trust is a worthy goal but not relevant to success in business. This outdated notion fails to recognize the financial benefit of maintaining the trust of stakeholders who can determine the level of social license or social control an organization enjoys. Every sector of the food system — farmers, manufacturers, branded food companies, grocery stores or restaurants — is under ever-increasing pressure to demonstrate they are operating in a way that is consistent with stakeholder values and expectations. Groups opposed to today’s food system are pursuing litigation, pressuring branded food companies, and initiating legislation to change how the system operates. When pressured to change, industry has historically responded by attacking the attackers and using science alone to justify current practices. Science tells us if we can do something; society tells us if we should do it. There have been times when scientific verification has been substituted for ethical justification in an effort to defend a specific practice. This can lead to frustration in the food production community because we know from our trust model that science alone is not the driving factor in generating consensus or public support for modern food production practices. Not only is using science as the basis for communicating with consumers ineffective in building stakeholder trust and support, it can actually increase suspicion and skepticism that the food industry is worthy of public trust. As consumer values change, the food system needs to evaluate and potentially modify current practices and fundamentally change the way it communicates in order to maintain consumer trust. Meaningful stakeholder engagement and effective values-based communication with consumers is essential to maintaining the trust that protects social license. We can increase support for today’s food system practices if we present information that effectively communicates that today’s agriculture practices are aligned with consumers’ values. In the past, we have often tried to convince people that they should change their values and beliefs to align with current production practices. Rather, it is more about helping people understand that what we are doing is already better aligned with their expectations than they may have thought. That is a key change in our strategic approach in addressing the challenging issues we face. In today’s age of unbridled social media, food-system stakeholders must develop new models for authentic engagement. Growing skepticism about food safety and the use of technology fuel online communities that are raising issues and making their voices heard with increasing volume and frequency. In this dynamic new environment, producers, processors and distributors are inextricably linked to their customers and NGOs interested in food issues. The question for food companies is no longer “Will you be transparent?” but rather “How will you protect your social license in an age of radical transparency?” New Models of Engagement Aquaculture can play a significant role in the food system’s incredible challenge and opportunity ahead. By mid-century we (CONTINUED ON PAGE 26) FIGURE 2. Confidence, or shared values, is 3-5 times more important in building consumer trust than demonstrating competence. For those in aquaculture, this is a new approach to building consumer trust. FIGURE 3. Research shows there are three primary drivers to building consumer trust, including influential others, competence and confidence. By building consumer trust, organizations can be granted social license and therefore the freedom to operate without undue social restriction.
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