Innovation Anthology #298:
Over the last few years, Dr. Ellen Goddard has been surveying consumer attitudes towards food safety.
Much of her research has focused on consumer attitudes post-BSE or the mad cow crisis of 2003.
For example, in the wake of media attention on the potential economic devastation facing cattle producers, Canadian consumers increased their consumption of beef to support Canadian farmers.
When it comes to what influences consumer behavior, Dr. Goddard’s research indicates a dichotomy.
DR. ELLEN GODDARD: They trust scientists. They trust government sources. They will get some information by their friends or neighbours, but they don’t rank it as high as a reliable source. And the media ranks fairly lowly in that. But it’s not totally clear that their actions support that that’s actually the ranking that they do. They may just totally pay attention to the media, and think in their head they should go and check it with a government source before they act on it, but they are probably are acting on the media.
Dr. Ellen Goddard is also surveying consumer attitudes over tracing food production from farmgate to table.
Thanks today to the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
FOR INNOVATION ANTHOLOGY
I’M CHERYL CROUCHER
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Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Program Date: 2010-03-16