In January and February 2024, Farm & Food Care Saskatchewan worked with Environics Research, a national research company, to conduct interviews with stakeholders, including current FFC SK members as well as others in the ag sector who are not currently financial supporters. The study explored views on national public trust research, how participants viewed FFC SK and its value proposition, how well the perspectives align and where gaps exist.
Agreement that building public trust in agriculture is critical
Across the board, there is widespread agreement that building public trust in agriculture is critical. There was significant respect for FFC SK and the work it does. However, there was a strong indication that more needs to be done to increase the sector’s reach beyond the usual audience. The research showed discontent with fragmentation in the current public trust ecosystem and its lack of proven impact and recognition that the communications landscape is increasingly challenging.
How best to reach consumers
Two broad perspectives surfaced regarding the best approach to building public trust: some favoured the grassroots approach that builds connections between producers and members of the public (such as farm or classroom visits), while others want to see large-scale public relations or marketing initiatives. A few participants indicated Canadian Food Focus could be a jumping-off point for this, but otherwise there is limited awareness of the initiative.
When asked what is missing from public trust efforts, those who wanted to expand beyond a grassroots approach pointed to the following needs: to broaden the tent and bring in a wider audience beyond those connected to agriculture; to combat negative content and misinformation and be present with positive stories; to develop and share a consistent message; and to get exposure and amplify messaging through sophisticated marketing.
A commonly-held view was that the public respects and trusts farmers, but not “big agriculture” nor specific practices. Many saw a divide between public views in western provinces and rural areas (ie, those who are closer to agriculture) and those in eastern provinces and urban centres (who are more distant).
Considering future directions
It was widely agreed that there is insufficient funding available collectively to fund public trust, which is further diluted when it is divided among multiple groups. There is the sense that funding is also becoming harder to access as associations are tapped out and governments and corporate interests are not yet stepping up. The interviews suggested that funding challenges are a symptom of another perception issue: that the sheer number of organizations with similar mandates results in a diluted and inconsistent message. Some interest was expressed to streamline the current ecosystem to improve impact and efficacy.
The interviews provided some insights into possible future directions for FFC SK, such as the need to develop a longer-term vision and to decide on whether to narrow the focus or broaden with a sophisticated national campaign. Other suggestions included embracing more of a marketing lens to reach consumers and to seek a bigger and more diverse audience. FFC SK could also lean further into its role as a convenor to bring organizations together to amplify our message and impact. The results also suggested that not all funders are fully aware of FFC SK’s initiatives, so more can be done to raise awareness and investment with the ag sector.
Farm & Food Care Saskatchewan would like to thank stakeholders who generously gave their time to speak to Environics for this research.
Next steps for FFC SK and Canadian Food Focus
The results of this study are part of several factors the Board and staff are considering as we create a development strategy for FFC SK and Canadian Food Focus over the next three years. We are currently working through a core messaging project to identify our “north star” and what success could look like. Next, we will develop a strategy to fulfill that vision, including a roadmap with specific actions and expected impacts as well as ways to measure, evaluate and report on success. This is an intensive process that we do not take lightly.
We have made meaningful progress but we’re currently at a crossroads: more needs to be done if we want to make a significant impact on increasing consumer trust in agriculture and food. We’re up to the challenge. Stay tuned.