Abstract
Trust in the "agro-food" sector has been declining in recent years reflecting a general decline of trust in traditional decision making processes. The introduction of new technologies in the production of foods re-introduces the problem of trust and highlights the parameters affecting its structure and direction. This paper discusses the issue of trust in relation to the introduction of functional foods into the market. Trust is assessed as both a philosophical and a psychological construct with particular emphasis on its communication aspects. The paper ends with specific recommendations for action in the agro-food sector.
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Notes
Neophobia is the tendency of consumers to avoid or resist unknown foods, a trait that might be particularly strong in relation to novel foods. It has been argued that this tendency might have an evolutionary origin.
Annette Baier (1986); Richard Holton (1994); Karen Jones (1996) Trust as an affective attitude. In: Ethics, vol. 107, pp. 4–25; Russell Hardin (1996) Trustworthiness. In: Ethics, vol. 107, pp. 26–42; and Lawrence Becker (1996).
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Acknowledgements
We would like to thank Professor C.F. Gethmann for comments on an earlier draft.
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This paper partly reflects work done with Professor Cees Midden, Technical University of Eindhoven, as part of an expert technology assessment project for the Europaeische Akademie Bad Neuenahr Ahrweiler GmbH.
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Liakopoulos, M., Schroeder, D. Trust and functional foods. New products, old issues. Poiesis Prax 2, 41–52 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10202-003-0032-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10202-003-0032-7