Consumer engagement crucial in changing dairy marketplace
Glacier FarmMedia – Building consumer trust is a frequently discussed topic in Canadian agriculture, but what if it’s not where we need to focus our efforts?
In fact, consumers already have high levels of trust in Canadian farmers and the food system overall, said Mike von Massow, professor in the the University of Guelph’s Department of Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics.
However, as von Massow explained in a presentation at the 2025 Western Canadian Dairy Seminar in Red Deer, most consumers have little knowledge of food production, highlighting a need for building greater consumer engagement.
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“When we ask basic questions about food production, we find that consumers have difficulty answering them,” said von Massow.
“If they are unable to answer these basic questions, they will not have a good understanding of some of the details and nuances of production.”
For example, in his research, when asked whether a dairy cow gives milk only after calving, more than 40 per cent of consumer respondents said they didn’t know. Almost 30 per cent answered incorrectly, and many of those who answered correctly were likely guessing.
“The lack of knowledge does not mean that consumers don’t care. We know consumers have opinions about things like animal welfare and sustainability. They simply don’t have a solid foundation for those opinions.”
This gap between high trust levels and low knowledge levels presents a major risk, he said, underpinning the necessity of refocusing efforts to engage consumers and help them understand dairy production.
“If a trusting population discovers something they are not happy with … they will be more disappointed than if they were skeptical and untrusting,” he stated, citing past “hidden camera” incidents in dairy barns that misrepresent production practices.
“It is imperative that the industry reduces the risk of surprises and disappointments.”
Emerging technologies such as innovations in plant-based dairy alternatives makes building consumer engagement and understanding even more important.
“The development of new alternatives to traditional dairy products increases the impetus to reinforce the benefits of dairy products with consumers,” said von Massow.
While his research found that “fluid milk is still preferred by the vast majority of Canadians who like the taste and nutrition they get from milk,” the primary reasons consumers choose a plant-based milk alternative are perceptions around health and animal welfare.
Food products created through cellular agriculture — using a bioreactor to grow cultured or fermented products — are newer to the marketplace but poised to expand in the future. An example of this is vegan frozen desserts that use genetically modified yeasts to synthesize casein and whey.
Better consumer engagement is also necessary, von Massow said, as new technologies are introduced in the livestock production stage.
Gene-editing, which alters the genes of plants and animals without the introduction of outside genes, is currently being researched as it relates to hornless dairy cattle. If this becomes a reality, it will be important to share with consumers how this technology improves the welfare of calves who won’t need to be dehorned.
Naturally polled is a growing trait in the mainstream dairy industry, but gene editing would move that trait into the population quickly.
“Traditional agricultural products have many positive attributes that we need to feature as we defend our dominant share of consumer purchases,” he said.
“There may, however, be some things we need to adapt in order to meet the demands of specific consumers.”
Exactly how the dairy industry chooses to engage with consumers matters greatly, and listening to the consumer is just as important as sharing information about dairy production.
“The way we present information can also have a profound impact on the effectiveness of our outreach,” said von Massow.
“This requires careful consideration and planning to maximize the impact of communication with diverse audiences.”
Different communication approaches are needed to engage different consumers. For some demographics, audio and video content created for social media will have the greatest impact.
“Our research found that video and audio information was twice as effective as written in changing perceptions,” he said.
While written communication is still effective, for some consumers it means “that more exposure points to the written information is required to achieve the same change.”
Knowing how best to share information with consumers opens possibilities for greater engagement and to lead the dialogue around dairy production, rather than let other voices dominate the conversation.
“There is strong evidence that if we share information with consumers that is balanced and credible, we can help them understand dairy production and processing and reduce the trust-knowledge gap,” he said.
“The conversation is proceeding with or without us.”
Source: producer.com