Understanding the concerns and needs of consumers is crucial for any business, which is why Dr. Jesse Robbins of Iowa State University said it is time for agriculture to get serious about understanding the social sciences behind public choices.  

In addition to looking into a consumer, Robbins also examined the citizens’ and voters’ perception of agriculture and how communication strategies impact that perception. A single person may act differently as a consumer than as a voter, according to Robbins.

“Voting behavior is low-cost behavior, so you often get very different results versus when they actually shop,” Robbins said. “We know that people who are buying items at the store are going into the ballot box and sometimes voting against that very thing that they just purchased. It is a conundrum that leads to what we call unfunded mandates.”

That conundrum impacts producers’ bottom lines when they feel pressured to follow certain protocols that people are not willing to pay for in the store, but in the ballot box they say it is absolutely necessary because it does not cost them anything to do so.

“It is pervasive, and it is influencing everything we do when it comes to putting forth policy that they vote on in agriculture,” Robbins said.

He called the difference in a person’s shopping behavior versus voting or surveying behavior as social desirability bias or a ‘warm glow.’

“It is hard to evaluate how people value animal welfare because stating they value welfare gives them a reward, a feeling like they are a good, beneficial, ethical person,” Robbins said. “In the voting booth, people are in that mode. They’re not in the trade-off mode.”

While studies are critical for capturing data, even they are not 100 percent accurate. Robbins said people taking surveys tend to respond in a way that represents their ideal self. Their responses reflect what someone would do if there were no constraints.

“That world is very different from a supermarket where we’re constantly faced with trade-offs,” Robbins said. “We need to make sure that those two are aligned and our research is addressing the right questions.”

Often, the person responding to the survey had no prior thoughts on the topics in question. Robbins said there is a big difference is surveying someone who has thought a lot about a particular issue versus someone who had not considered the issue until asked the question.

“We should be cautious about the fact that most consumers don’t understand a lot about a topic,” Robbins said. “We asked them to report their feelings about it. They may not be related to the specific issue, but more general perceptions about what this question is getting at.”

One of the biggest topics for consumer perception and agriculture is animal welfare. Robbins said those studies show a large gender effect. In nearly every study, females are more concerned about animal welfare than males. In addition to gender, there is also a political divide. Liberals tend to be more concerned than conservatives about animal issues, according to Robbins.

“Not to that conservatives aren’t concerned, but they are less concerned,” he said.

The evolution of pet ownership even plays a role in how agriculture is perceived.

“When I grew up, my dogs weren’t allowed in the house, and I’m not that old,” Robbins said. “Today, they sleep in our beds. That has an impact on how people think about animals.”

He said people may compare their pets’ lives to the lives of livestock, which puts a new communication pressure on farmers to explain the difference in treatment among the different animals.

Sometimes, the perception of welfare that consumers desire strays from actual animal welfare needs. Those values a person living or working outside of agriculture has may not be in line with what is in the best interest of those animals.

“Those are instances where we can have a legitimate conversation about what is in the best interest of the animals and find some sort of common ground because we both want that,” Robbins said. 

Communication will be key as producers move forward, but they will face challenges. It is important for farmers to share their message; however, today’s consumer knows farmers are biased because they are speaking on behalf of their lifestyle and livelihood.

Robbins’ suggestion was to continue using farmers as trusted sources, but also to invest in finding people detached from agriculture to help share that story.

“I think those will have a greater impact as people will see them as being more disinterested. Farmers are very credible, but we should rethink some of these other ways of garnering public support,” Robbins said.

Finding common ground and mutual understanding to help bring clarity in the store or ballot box.

Understanding the concerns and needs of consumers is crucial for any business, which is why Dr. Jesse Robbins of Iowa State University said it is time for agriculture to get serious about understanding the social sciences behind public choices. &nbsp;
In addition to looking into a consumer, Robbins also examined the citizens&rsquo; and voters&rsquo; perception of agriculture and how communication strategies impact that perception. A single person may act differently as a consumer than as a voter, according to Robbins.
&ldquo;Voting behavior is low-cost behavior, so you often get very different results versus when they actually shop,&rdquo; Robbins said. &ldquo;We know that people who are buying items at the store are going into the ballot box and sometimes voting against that very thing that they just purchased. It is a conundrum that leads to what we call unfunded mandates.&rdquo;
That conundrum impacts producers&rsquo; bottom lines when they feel pressured to follow certain protocols that people are not willing to pay for in the store, but in the ballot box they say it is absolutely necessary because it does not cost them anything to do so.
&ldquo;It is pervasive, and it is influencing everything we do when it comes to putting forth policy that they vote on in agriculture,&rdquo; Robbins said.
He called the difference in a person&rsquo;s shopping behavior versus voting or surveying behavior as social desirability bias or a &lsquo;warm glow.&rsquo;
&ldquo;It is hard to evaluate how people value animal welfare because stating they value welfare gives them a reward, a feeling like they are a good, beneficial, ethical person,&rdquo; Robbins said. &ldquo;In the voting booth, people are in that mode. They&rsquo;re not in the trade-off mode.&rdquo;
While studies are critical for capturing data, even they are not 100 percent accurate. Robbins said people taking surveys tend to respond in a way that represents their ideal self. Their responses reflect what someone would do if there were no constraints.
&ldquo;That world is very different from a supermarket where we&rsquo;re constantly faced with trade-offs,&rdquo; Robbins said. &ldquo;We need to make sure that those two are aligned and our research is addressing the right questions.&rdquo;
Often, the person responding to the survey had no prior thoughts on the topics in question. Robbins said there is a big difference is surveying someone who has thought a lot about a particular issue versus someone who had not considered the issue until asked the question.
&ldquo;We should be cautious about the fact that most consumers don&rsquo;t understand a lot about a topic,&rdquo; Robbins said. &ldquo;We asked them to report their feelings about it. They may not be related to the specific issue, but more general perceptions about what this question is getting at.&rdquo; One of the biggest topics for consumer perception and agriculture is animal welfare. Robbins said those studies show a large gender effect. In nearly every study, females are more concerned about animal welfare than males. In addition to gender, there is also a political divide. Liberals tend to be more concerned than conservatives about animal issues, according to Robbins.
&ldquo;Not to that conservatives aren&rsquo;t concerned, but they are less concerned,&rdquo; he said.
The evolution of pet ownership even plays a role in how agriculture is perceived.
&ldquo;When I grew up, my dogs weren&rsquo;t allowed in the house, and I&rsquo;m not that old,&rdquo; Robbins said. &ldquo;Today, they sleep in our beds. That has an impact on how people think about animals.&rdquo;
He said people may compare their pets&rsquo; lives to the lives of livestock, which puts a new communication pressure on farmers to explain the difference in treatment among the different animals.
Sometimes, the perception of welfare that consumers desire strays from actual animal welfare needs. Those values a person living or working outside of agriculture has may not be in line with what is in the best interest of those animals.
&ldquo;Those are instances where we can have a legitimate conversation about what is in the best interest of the animals and find some sort of common ground because we both want that,&rdquo; Robbins said. Communication will be key as producers move forward, but they will face challenges. It is important for farmers to share their message; however, today&rsquo;s consumer knows farmers are biased because they are speaking on behalf of their lifestyle and livelihood.
Robbins&rsquo; suggestion was to continue using farmers as trusted sources, but also to invest in finding people detached from agriculture to help share that story.
&ldquo;I think those will have a greater impact as people will see them as being more disinterested. Farmers are very credible, but we should rethink some of these other ways of garnering public support,&rdquo; Robbins said.
Finding common ground and mutual understanding to help bring clarity in the store or ballot box.

Join Pam Jahnke for the latest farm news. Heard daily on WOZN 96.7 FM and 1670 AM in Madison Wisconsin from 5-6am. Also heard on affiliate stations all over Wisconsin.

Join Pam Jahnke for the latest farm news. Heard daily on WOZN 96.7 FM and 1670 AM in Madison Wisconsin from 5-6am. Also heard on affiliate stations all over Wisconsin.

MID-WEST FARM REPORT - MADISON

Daily audio and podcasts from the Mid-West Farm Report Madison!

Daily audio and podcasts from the Mid-West Farm Report Madison!

Advertisement