Consumer trust in the food system has slumped, according to new research from YouGov.
The research, commissioned by PR firm Reverberate, has found that 39% of British adults do not trust major food brands and supermarkets to tell the truth about where food comes from, or the farms that produce it.
The survey of 2,260 UK adults last month also found that more than half (53%) did not trust major food brands and supermarkets to tell the truth about how sustainable specific foods are.
Half of adults said they did not trust major food brands and supermarkets to tell the truth about how healthy specific foods are, while a quarter of adults do not trust British farmers to adhere to high standards of animal welfare.
“The need for transformative change in the food system is widely acknowledged, but the scope and speed of that change is unprecedented,” said Philip Gibson, managing director at Reverberate. “This requires collaboration between farmers, food processors and grocery retailers in a way that has never been seen before, but also means that effective consumer engagement around food is more important than ever.
“We have seen recent high-profile trust issues in the food sector – sometimes unfounded – and we have to do better as an industry at driving positive engagement and celebrate the UK’s food and farming sectors.”
The issue of trust is currently a hot topic in the food sector, with a BBC investigation last week uncovering alleged links to forced labour in tomato puree supply chains, while Arla has come under fire for its use of methane-inhibiting feed additive Bovaer, with social media users incorrectly claiming the product is unsafe and calling for boycotts of the dairy giant’s products. Arla has insisted it is safe, citing regulatory approval for Bovaer in almost 30 countries.
The YouGov research also revealed consumers have concerns around greenhouse gas emissions, with 40% of adults not trusting farmers to reduce emissions and 38% thinking that farmers don’t care about reducing emissions.
Furthermore, 43% of adults do not think farmers care about engaging with the general public and 11% think farmers don’t care about producing safe food for consumers.
Reverberate has launched a training programme to help build trust in the UK food system, developed by the US-based Center for Food Integrity.
“CFI’s trust model is based on peer-reviewed research, which proves that values are three to five times more powerful in building trust than science and facts alone,” said Gibson.
“We are delighted to be partnering with them to bring this proven approach to the UK and Ireland to support agriculture and food organisations at this critical time,” he added. “Without trust there can be no effective collaboration, so we are confident that this proven approach will help strengthen relationships across the food supply chain and help those engaging directly with consumers, delivering sustainable, secure food systems that consumers trust.”
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