Trust in Food in Europe. A comparative analysis

Abstract

In the wake of the turbulence around food related topics in Europe over the past couple of decades, consumer trust has become a key issue. A number of previous surveys have shown considerable variation in the levels of trust in different European countries and regions of Europe; whether the topic is trust in political and social institutions in general, trust in food, or trust associated with particular food related issues like genetically modi fied food crops or BSE. The TRUSTINFOOD research programme takes these variations and fluctuations as a point of departure, aiming at a better understanding of the dynamics behind, and the implications of, such processes. To achieve these ends we have carried out representative surveys as well as institutional studies in six European countries: Den mark, Germany, Italy, Norway, Portugal, and the GB.