Source: MICHIGAN STATE UNIV submitted to NRP
TRUST IN SCIENCE AND ITS COMMUNICATORS– THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TRUST AND CONSUMER DECISION-MAKING FOR NEW AGRI-FOOD BIOTECHNOLOGIES OVER TIME.
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
ACTIVE
Funding Source
AFRI COMPETITIVE GRANT
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1030438
Grant No.
2023-67023-40129
Cumulative Award Amt.
$649,999.00
Proposal No.
2022-11528
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Jul 1, 2023
Project End Date
Jun 30, 2026
Grant Year
2023
Program Code
[A1642]- AFRI Foundational - Social Implications of Emerging Technologies
Recipient Organization
MICHIGAN STATE UNIV
(N/A)
EAST LANSING,MI 48824
Performing Department
AFRE
Non Technical Summary
The scientific and political consensus is that genetically engineered (i.e., bioengineered and gene-edited) food products are safe to produce and consume (U.S. Food and Drug Administration 2022). Nevertheless, consumers still tend to discount genetically engineered food products relative to other alternatives (e.g., conventional, organic, and non-GMO). One hypothesized reason for this is the lack of trust in the science behind new agri-food biotechnologies, like genetic engineering, as well as the actors in the supply chain that are responsible for communicating it to the end-user (e.g., producers, policymakers, and industry stakeholders).This project proposes a tracking survey to capture both spatial and temporal variations in consumer's trust in science and acceptance of new agricultural and food technologies. We will pair established trust measures with state-of-the-art consumer experiments to evaluate the connection between trust and consumer decision-making related to new and emerging food products produced with biotechnology. Further, acknowledging the need for an open exchange and participatory approach across stakeholder groups to foster trust, we will not only report our results through a variety of channels and formats, including data dashboards, but also invite interested parties to provide comments and questions they want us to address with our survey.Results from this project will provide invaluable information that can be used not only by food companies and marketers but also by public policy makers in relation to a very important and current issue: adoption of new food technologies in the agri-food area.
Animal Health Component
80%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
80%
Developmental
20%
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
60760103010100%
Knowledge Area
607 - Consumer Economics;

Subject Of Investigation
6010 - Individuals;

Field Of Science
3010 - Economics;
Goals / Objectives
Our overarching goal is to improve the understanding of consumers' trust in new and emerging agri-food biotechnologies and associated trustworthiness perceptions of relevant communicators. We want to analyze how trustworthiness perceptions are associated with consumer's own behavioral choices while also encouraging an exchange between the public and other stakeholders on these issues. We will further assess how this exchange impacts the attitudes of participants. Our specific objectives for this project are:Objective 1. Assess consumer trust in science and supply chain actors regarding agri-food biotechnologies and whether and how it changes over time.Objective 2. Evaluate how consumer preferences for agri-food biotechnology related policy and purchase decisions correspond to trust in scientists and food supply chain actors (e.g., farmers, processors, retailers and policy makers).Objective 3. Determine the link between internal (e.g., perceived risk and benefits, social trust, etc.) and external factors (e.g., news stories, policy changes, etc.) and consumer trust in science and agri-food biotechnologies. Objective 4. Facilitate a participatory research approach between different key stakeholders and consumers.
Project Methods
The proposed project aims to assess the relationship between perceived trustworthiness of key food supply chain actors and behavioral trust in the form of decision-making/preferences for new agri-food biotechnologies, in particular genetic engineering. To facilitate a comprehensive evaluation of this relationship we designed a monthly survey tracking consumer's trust in agri-food biotechnologies, which we will implement as a 2-year tracking survey. The survey includes four sections, each incorporating different questions, experiments and validated scales. Section 1 includes direct trust questions as well as validated scales to measure trusting behavior and trustworthiness. Section 2 includes two experiments designed to measure preferences for genetically engineered food and related policies; as well as a vignette experiment designed to explore how consumers respond to different communications of a specific sub-dimensions of trustworthiness. Section 3 includes a number of survey questions and validated scales to elicit internal and external factors influencing acceptance of new agri-food biotechnologies and trust. The last section of the survey will be adaptable to incorporate additional questions elicited in response to on-going events and via our website/dashboard. Doing so allows us to gather timely information on related topics of interest to different stakeholders and current issues and topics related to agri-food biotechnologies and trust. The data will be continuously analyzed using established and frontier methodologies, with results being translated into formats accessible to a variety of stakeholders and publicized via a variety of outputs (see above). This multi-channel integration of data collection and publication contributes to the two main desired outcomes of increasing the knowledge base for interested stakeholders and decreasing barriers in communication.

Progress 07/01/24 to 06/30/25

Outputs
Target Audience:During this reporting period, the project focused on eliciting U.S. public perception of and trust in specific food system stakeholders, particularly in relation to the development and use of biotechnologies. The primary target audiences for this phase included food system actors whose roles intersect with public trust and innovation: scientists, farmers, food retailers, food companies, policymakers, and advocacy groups. These audiences are examined through a tracking survey, we named Trusted Voices, which generates timely behavioral data by rotating the focal stakeholder group on a six-month cycle. While the core survey questions remain consistent across months to ensure comparability, a portion of the survey is customized each month to explore trust in a specific stakeholder group in greater depth. Over the course of the project, this rotation enables the collection of four observations per group, offering a longitudinal perspective on how trust evolves. The insights generated are designed to be directly useful to a broad set of stakeholders, including: 1) Producers and processors, seeking to understand how their practices are perceived; 2) Policymakers, interested in shaping evidence-based communication strategies; 3) Academics, aiming to advance knowledge around trust and innovation adoption; and 4) Consumers, indirectly benefitting from clearer, more trustworthy information environments. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?This project created multiple opportunities for graduate-level training and skill development: Graduate students from both Michigan State University and Purdue University participated in survey instrument design, cognitive testing, programming, and data collection. Students gained hands-on experience in behavioral survey methods, longitudinal research design, and public trust measurement, skills directly applicable to careers in food policy, communication, and applied economics. Students also explored new literatures, including public policy, which expanded their interdisciplinary knowledge base and supported the development of new analytical and conceptual skills. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? A project webpage was launched on www.foodchoicelab.com, where future findings will be shared with the public, media, policymakers, and academic audiences. A blog and interactive feature are being developed to allow stakeholders to submit questions and engage directly with project content. Presentations of research deriving from the survey have been accepted for the American Agricultural Economics Association meeting in Colorado in July of this year. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Continue monthly data collection and survey implementation Analyze data from each wave and begin disseminating results on a monthly basis Initiate message testing activities based on preliminary insights to evaluate which messengers and messages build or erode trust. Prepare and submit additional manuscripts for publication based on the first wave of data. Continue training and mentoring graduate students through data analysis and research dissemination. Update the project webpage with key findings and begin publishing public-facing content, including blog posts and Q&A responses.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? During this reporting period, we made significant progress toward the project's overarching goal: to understand how trust in various food system actors shapes public perceptions, preferences, and acceptance of emerging agri-food technologies. Major activities completed include: We finalized the stakeholder editions of the Trusted Voices longitudinal survey, each tailored to examine public trust in one of the following food system actor groups: scientists, farmers, food retailers, food companies, policymakers, and advocacy groups. We launched the Trusted Voices longitudinal survey. We monitor data collection every month and analyze the data. Graduate students from Michigan State University and Purdue University were actively involved in the survey design, pilot testing, and deployment. These activities contributed both to project implementation and to professional development in behavioral science and agri-food communication. A dedicated project page was launched on the Food Choice Research Lab website (www.foodchoicelab.com) to communicate survey updates and future findings with academic and public audiences. A conceptual manuscript exploring trust and transparency in food systems, titled "Hiding and Revealing: A Perspective on the Paradox of Information Transparency in Diverse Agri-Food Value Chain Contexts," was submitted to Q-Open and has been conditionally accepted for publication. We initiated the development of a public-facing engagement platform on our website (www.foodchoicelab.com). This includes plans for a blog where stakeholders can submit questions and interact with project updates, supporting two-way communication and transparency.

Publications

  • Type: Other Status: Under Review Year Published: 2025 Citation: Vincenzina Caputo and Thomas Reardon. Hiding and Revealing: A Perspective on the Paradox of Information Transparency in Diverse Agri-Food Value Chain Contexts. Q-Open
  • Type: Websites Status: Other Year Published: 2025 Citation: https://www.foodchoicelab.com/copy-of-donors
  • Type: Other Status: Other Year Published: 2025 Citation: Trusted Voices Survey


Progress 07/01/23 to 06/30/24

Outputs
Target Audience:The project includes a tracking survey. The survey centers around eliciting respondent's perceptions of and trust in various stakeholders involved in the food system specifically as it pertains to the use and development of biotechnologies. The goal of the survey is to provide insights that are usable by a variety of stakeholders including producers, processors, policymakers, academics, and consumers. While the questions mostly stay the same across months, a subset is slightly altered each month to gain more targeted insights about respondent's opinions regarding one of six stakeholders: Scientists, Farmers, Retailers, Food Companies, Policymakers, and Advocacy Groups. The focal stakeholder group rotates on a six-month basis meaning we will gather 4 data points on each group over the 2-year period that the survey runs.? Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?As stated in the project proposal, the survey is supposed to provide stakeholders with the opportunity to actively be a part and benefit from the survey. We are proud to report that this offer has been well received and we already have several graduate students as well as more advanced scholars who are in active discussions with us on leveraging the generated data or integrating some of their questions. In one case, a PhD student has compiled a proposal (university defense scheduled for Q3 of 2024) to use the survey for their dissertation. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Participation at the ICABR Conference (http://icabr.net/) in Ravello, Italy, June 10-15, 2024. The title of the presentation is "Trust in science and its communicators- The relationship between trust and consumer decision-making for new agri-food biotechnologies". The authors are Vincenzina Caputo, Valerie Kilders, John Besley, and Paul Thomson. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?For the next reporting (end of year 2), we plan to continue with the data collection and dissemination of the results of the different survey editions. We also plan to finalize the creation of the website and dashboard. The research findings will be presented at academic conferences, including the annual conference of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association. These academic presentations will enable feedback on the study as we prepare manuscripts for publication while also increasing project awareness.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? In alignment with Objective 1--assessing consumer trust in science and supply chain actors regarding agri-food biotechnologies and monitoring its evolution--we have developed the first edition of the survey. This survey includes questions designed to also allow us to achieve Objective 2, which evaluates how consumer preferences for agri-food biotechnology-related policies and purchase decisions correspond to their trust in scientists and food supply chain actors (e.g., farmers, processors, retailers, and policymakers). It also addresses Objective 3 by determining the link between internal factors (such as perceived risks and benefits, social trust) and external factors (such as news stories and policy changes) and consumer trust in science and agri-food biotechnologies. The first data collection is scheduled to begin by the end of the summer. To design the survey, a literature review was conducted by leveraging findings from various fields including political science, psychology, agricultural economics, ethics, and economics.

Publications