PUBLIC TRUST

What Drives Trust?

Farmers and ranchers are increasingly distanced from consumers as more people question the source of their food. Having the trust and confidence of the public is important for any industry…and it is especially important for an industry tasked with feeding people and being good stewards of land, water, workers, animals, and wildlife. Earning and maintaining the privilege of operating with minimal formalized restrictions, depends largely on building trust. This begins by demonstrating ways in which your values align with those of consumers. Of the three primary elements that drive trust—confidence (shared values and ethics), competence (skills and ability) and influential others (family, friends and credentialed individuals),—our peer-reviewed and published research shows that confidence, or shared values, is three-to-five times more important than competence in building trust..