Trust is a must: Food policy in an age of doubt

With Professor John Coveney, Flinders University

Chaired by Professor Martin Caraher, City, University of London

The Centre for Food Policy’s monthly Food Thinkers series aims to advance the thinking and practice of integrated approaches to food policy. For this March 2018 Food Thinkers we are honoured to have with us, John Coveney, Professor of Global Food, Culture and Health at Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, discussing consumer trust in food and food systems.

Consumer trust in food and food systems is crucial for health and wellbeing of individuals and communities. Breaches of consumer food trust can be damaging to the credibility of food regulators, impacting also on the productivity of food producers, manufacturers and retailers.

Researchers at Flinders University (South Australia), City University (UK) and University of Kent (UK) over the past 5 years have worked together on an Australian Research Council grant to compare and contrast ways that food trust is damaged. Of particular interested was how trust can be repaired after a food scandal or food scare. Using consensus-testing processes with experts in their respective fields, the researchers sought to arrive at best practice models to assist government, industry, consumer groups and media to (re)build trust during times of doubt about the integrity of the food system.

Professor Coveney will present this research and findings after which questions and discussion will be opened to the audience.

Professor John Coveney PhD, APD

John Coveney is Professor of Global Food, Culture and Health at Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia. He has research and education interests in food policy; public health nutrition; history of food and health; and social and cultural factors that influence food trust, food patterns and food intake. He is an Honorary Research Fellow at City University, UK.