Consumer Trust in the U.S. Food System: An Examination of the Recreancy Theorem*

Sápp, Stephen G.; Arnot, Charlie; Fallon, James H.; Fleck, Terry; Soorholtz, David; Sutton-Vermeulen, Matt; Wilson, Jannette J.H.

doi:10.1111/j.1549-0831.2009.tb00703.x

Cited by 40 publications

(62 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…For both samples, we selected individuals to ensure male and female household members would be alternately represented. Response rates are similar to recent surveys of food and environmental attitudes, which researchers note have been declining over time (Dietz, Dan, and Shwom 2007;Ohlendorf et al 2002;Sapp et al 2009).…”

Section: Methodssupporting

confidence: 80%

Public Concern with Farm‐Animal Welfare: Religion, Politics, and Human Disadvantage in the Food Sector*

Deemer

Lobao

2011

Rural Sociology

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The welfare of farm animals has become a continuing source of controversy as states seek greater regulation over the livestock industry. However, empirical studies addressing the determinants of public concern for farm‐animal welfare are limited. Religion and politics, two institutional bases of attitudes, are rarely explored. Nor have sociologists responded systematically to the popular charge that people concerned with animal welfare care less about human well‐being. This study builds from sociology's stratification literature to address new questions about farm‐animal welfare. Using a range of animal‐welfare attitudes and samples drawn from a statewide and a national population in 2007, we find support for the religious and political bases of farm‐animal‐welfare attitudes. Frequent church attendance is related to less concern with animal welfare. However, we also find that religious beliefs can be a source of support for animal welfare. Political orientation as reflected by desire for more economic equality and greater tolerance of outgroups is also related to concern for farm‐animal welfare. Formal political partisanship and denomination have weaker effects. Concern with farm‐animal welfare is consistently related to greater concern with human welfare in the food sector.

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Section: Methodssupporting

confidence: 80%

Public Concern with Farm‐Animal Welfare: Religion, Politics, and Human Disadvantage in the Food Sector*

Deemer

Lobao

2011

Rural Sociology

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“…Demand for dairy products is driven by consumer desire for inexpensive food that is safe, high quality, and produced using socially responsible management practices (Rollin, 2004;Fulwider et al, 2008;Sapp et al, 2009). Bulk milk somatic cell count (BMSCC) and total bacterial count (BMTBC) are international reference indicators of raw milk quality (Costello et al, 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Association of bedding types with management practices and indicators of milk quality on larger Wisconsin dairy farms

Rowbotham

Ruegg

2015

Journal of Dairy Science

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The objective of this study was to identify associations of bedding type and selected management practices with bulk milk quality and productivity of larger Wisconsin dairy farms. Dairy herds (n=325) producing ≥11,340 kg of milk daily were surveyed during a single farm visit. Monthly bulk milk SCC and total bacteria counts were obtained from milk buyers for 255 farms for a 2-yr period. Of farms with the same type of bedding in all pens during the study period, most used inorganic bedding (IB), followed by organic nonmanure bedding (OB) and manure products (MB). Almost all bulk milk total bacterial counts were <10,000 cfu/mL and total bacterial count was not associated with bedding type. Bulk milk somatic cell score (BMSCS) was least for farms using IB, varied seasonally, and was greatest in the summer. The BMSCS was reduced when new bedding was added to stalls at intervals greater than 1 wk and when teats were dried before attaching the milking unit. The BMSCS for farms using OB was reduced when bedding in the backs of stalls was removed and replaced regularly and when fewer cows with nonfunctioning mammary quarters were present. The BMSCS for farms using MB was reduced when the proportion of cows with milk discarded was less. The rolling herd average (RHA) of herds using IB was 761 and 1,153 kg greater than the RHA of herds using OB and MB, respectively. The RHA was 353 kg greater on farms where farmers understood subclinical mastitis and 965 kg greater on farms milking 3 times daily. Each 1% increase of cows with nonfunctioning mammary quarters was associated with a decrease of 57 kg of RHA. The BMSCS, proportions of cows with milk discarded and proportion of cows with nonfunctioning mammary quarters were least for herds using IB and were associated with increased productivity. Large Wisconsin dairy farms that used inorganic bedding had greater productivity and better milk quality compared with herds using other bedding types.

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“…political party affiliation, political ideology) characteristics did. Sapp et al (2009) found that confidence and fiduciary responsibility explained approximately 70% of the variance in consumer trust in institutional actors within the US food system, wherein the effects of fiduciary responsibility outweighed the effects of confidence on trust by a factor of about three to one.…”

Section: The Recreancy Theoremmentioning

confidence: 98%

Consumer acceptance of food irradiation: a test of the recreancy theorem

Sápp

Downing-Matibag

2009

Int J Consumer Studies

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Consumers living in both developed and developing nations rely upon foods that have been produced and processed in many countries and in a wide variety of ways. Therefore, it is not surprising that they express concerns about the safety of their food supplies. A technology proposed to improve consumer trust in food safety is irradiation. Despite extensive education efforts and endorsements given by many health‐related organizations worldwide, food irradiation has been slow to gain widespread acceptance. This ineffectiveness of diffusion efforts might indicate a need to broaden our theoretical perspectives of consumer acceptance of controversial technologies. Most theoretical approaches explain acceptance primarily as a function of perceived risks associated with a technology. The recreancy theorem, in contrast, explains acceptance as a function of public trust in societal institutions to effectively manage a technology. This study investigated the extent to which the recreancy theorem explained acceptance of food irradiation by US consumers, while statistically controlling for perceived risk and social‐demographic variables. The study used a longitudinal field design to survey one adult each in 116 households located in the Minneapolis, Minnesota area during the first large‐scale market test of irradiated food. The results indicate that the recreancy theorem might provide a valid conceptual approach to gaining a broader understanding of consumer acceptance of controversial new technologies.

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Consumer Trust in the U.S. Food System: An Examination of the Recreancy Theorem*

Cited by 40 publications

References 36 publications

Public Concern with Farm‐Animal Welfare: Religion, Politics, and Human Disadvantage in the Food Sector*

Public Concern with Farm‐Animal Welfare: Religion, Politics, and Human Disadvantage in the Food Sector*

Association of bedding types with management practices and indicators of milk quality on larger Wisconsin dairy farms

Consumer acceptance of food irradiation: a test of the recreancy theorem

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