EIT Food Trust Report ¦ IDM
Consumer trust in food
EIT Food Trust Report
What is the state of consumer trust in the
food system and in food products? This
was a question addressed by the EIT Food
Trust Report, which was conducted together
with a consortium of academic
partners. A total of 19,800 consumers in 18 European countries
were surveyed. IDM spoke with co-author Prof. Klaus
Grunert from Aarhus University about the most important
statements of the report.
IDM: Please briefly introduce the report and tell us about
your work and your scientific orientation
Grunert: The Trust Report reveals the trust that consumers
have (or do not have) in the main actors in the food sector –
farmers, producers, retailers and authorities. We measured the
level of trust in a variety of dimensions and looked at how this
impacts the confidence that consumers have in the integrity
of food products and food technologies. The survey follows a
behavioural science approach and relies on the extensive research
that exists on trust, how it is formed and its impact. We
surveyed a total of 19,800 consumers from 18 different European
countries, making it the first-of-its-kind report in Europe.
IDM: Why do only a few consumers think the food industry
is sustainable?
Grunert: Sustainability is a complex and multi-dimensional
term and is therefore complex to evaluate, which makes it
even more difficult for consumers to form opinions on the
degree of sustainability of companies. In addition, there
aren’t many objective indicators. There have been many stories
about greenwashing and consumers are still often unable
to identify sustainable items.
IDM: Is the food industry actually not as sustainable or is it
just being denigrated in the media?
Grunert: I believe that the food industry is struggling with the
complexity of the sustainability concept just as consumers do,
but the food industry should have the resources to define objective
goals, pursue them and communicate them effectively.
Prof. Klaus Grunert, Aarhus University: The food industry is
struggling with the dazzling diversity of the concept of sustainability
just as much as consumers are
IDM: What can the industry do to improve its image in terms
of sustainability?
Grunert: The industry needs to show that it understands
what sustainable food production means and that it takes
the sustainability issue seriously. It needs to show that it
has concrete plans of action to improve sustainability and
it needs to become more transparent in what it is doing. In
this context, the question of a comprehensive eco-label has
special importance
March/April 2021 ¦ international-dairy.com · 5
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