Reconnection in the UK food chain: Bridging the communication gap between food producers and consumers

This paper reports the findings of a research project that investigated the extent of the information gap that exists between the British agri‐food industry and consumers to help assist the industry in its efforts to re‐connect with consumers and the wider public.

The first stage involved an information audit to examine the communication activities of the providers of information about food and farming, which was conducted using desk research and personal interviews. The second stage involved qualitative and quantitative primary research to examine the information needs and knowledge amongst consumers, one of the key target groups identified in the first stage of the project.

The review of the communication activities of organisations in the agri‐food industry identified an extremely fragmented delivery to consumers and a distinct lack of resources to effectively communicate the information that exists and evaluate its impact on the attitudes, perceptions and behaviour of consumers. The consumer research indicated that, while many are interested in food production issues, the fragmented communication messages that they receive are not giving them a clear reason to consider the implications of their purchases for the British farming industry and the environment.

The information audit, whilst comprehensive, was not exhaustive, and so it is likely that some information providers may have been excluded from the review. In addition, the effectiveness of individual organisations' communication activities has not been evaluated and this presents a useful avenue for future research.

Owing to the limited communication budgets of individual organisations it is suggested that the industry collaborate and pool its resources to develop a co‐ordinated and effective consumer campaign for British agriculture.

This paper is of value to participants in the agri‐food industry as, since the publication of the Policy Commission inquiry into the future of farming and food, the subject of reconnection in the food chain has become very topical, with both industry and government representatives identifying the poor image of farming and consumers' lack of understanding of the link between food and farming as a significant problem for the industry.