Direct Discussion Among Farmers and Consumers Helps Build Trust

The Executive Director of Farm and Food Care Saskatchewan suggests direct discussion among farmers and consumers is a key step toward building trust.
"Why Sharing Your Farm Story Matters" will be among the topics discussed as part of Saskatchewan Pork Industry Symposium 2023 scheduled for November 7th and 8th in Saskatoon.

Farm and Food Care Saskatchewan Executive Director Clinton Monchuk says the goal is encourage more farmers to get out there and talk to others about what they do.

Quote-Clinton Monchuk-Farm and Food Care Saskatchewan:

This is a broad stretching kind of request.I would say everybody who's comfortable talking to others about what they do.It doesn't have to be making a brand-new social media campaign or anything like that.It can be as simple as just talking to the individual you're sitting beside at a hockey game that your kids or your grandkids are going to.

It could be as simple as just putting the odd post on social media to say, "hey this is what we're doing.We're moving out hogs today and this is why we’re doing it this way."There's a lot of different opportunities for you to actually engage with the public.

I find, in my own personal life and my kids play hockey and dance and baseball, all those different activities, when they find out that I'm an actual farmer these questions come naturally to them.What do you mean, how do those eggs get produced, what's the difference between a white egg and a brown egg?

It just naturally comes out because consumers are really interested and having these conversations and being open to talking about them with others really has that power to increase trust.

Monchuk says the data shows when consumers are given the opportunity to engage directly with a farmer about how their food is grown their level of confidence in that food increases.