Cracking the consumer code to provide technical and scientific information in a manner that supports informed decision making is not easy, but it can be done. That’s the conclusion from new consumer trust research from The Center for Food Integrity (CFI). CFI’s report, “Cracking the Code on Food Issues: Insights from Moms, Millennials and Foodies,” offers a blueprint for aerial applicators to follow when you engage with neighbors, citizens and the media about agricultural aviation’s contributions to modern agricultural production.  

The 2014 CFI web-based survey was completed by 2,005 respondents who reflect the general U.S. consumer population. To provide deeper insights into moms, millennials and foodies, the results were segmented to highlight those influential constituencies. Through scenarios about genetically modified ingredients in food and antibiotic use in animal agriculture, the survey also tested three voices: a Mom Scientist, a Federal Government Scientist and a Peer “who shares my interest about food.”

The 2014 results show positive trends when it comes to attitudes about the food system. When asked if the food system was headed in the right direction, 42 percent of respondents said yes, an 8 percent increase from 2013. Only 33 percent of women believe the food system is on the wrong track compared with 42 percent from last year. Nearly half of men, 48 percent, believe the food system is headed in the right direction. CFI posed the same question to Moms, Millennials and Foodies, specifically. Nearly half of the Foodies believe the food system is headed in the right direction, followed by Millennials and then Moms.

Other interesting findings include where Moms, Millennials and Foodies go for food system information:

• Websites are the top-ranked source of information for food system issues for all three segments. Moms ranked Family (not online) second, while Millennials and Foodies prefer Friends (not online) as their second choice.
• Moms also rely on Local TV Stations, while Millennials rely on Online Friends as additional sources of information.
• Food-specific TV Program/Networks are important sources of information about food system issues for Foodies (less so for Moms and Millennials).

Like Moms, Millennials and Foodies, the top food system source for the general population is Websites, followed by Local TV Stations, Friends (not online), Family (not online) and Google.

How to Get Through to Consumers on Food Matters

The 2014 CFI research provides a model that can help in creating and sharing information that fosters informed decision making. Here are suggestions from the Center for Food Integrity on how to apply the findings.

1. Believability is a key driver in creating information that is trusted.
2. Identify the groups you would like to engage. Who are the Early Adopters—or opinion leaders—within those groups? What are their values and concerns? Who are the likely sources they view as credible? Listen to the concerns and understand their values before developing your strategy.
3. Meet them where they are. Today’s monitoring technology allows you to identify the digital and physical communities where conversations about food and agriculture are taking place. Select those communities that are important to you and develop engagement strategies. Be a good neighbor when you “move in” to the community [or new residents move into your work territory] and remember that how you choose to engage will determine how your new neighbors respond.
4. Develop a values-based engagement strategy that starts with listening and embracing skepticism. Engage with the groups you’ve identified and focus on building relationships before sharing information. Understand and appreciate the group expectations and cultural norms as they will influence how to best share information.
5. Commit to engaging over time. Building trust is a process, not an event. Authentic transparency and continued engagement using the models developed through CFI’s research will encourage objective evaluation of information that supports informed decision making.