It’s easy to forget that a normally unexciting regulatory process—such as National Organic Standards Board review of materials every five years—has consequences for consumers with every organic bite they take. Those consumers bring their expectations to the table, literally and figuratively. W&A’s own Joe Dickson took a moment to talk to us about consumer expectations and building trust as the era of Strengthening Organic Enforcement gets underway.

In the time since the organic regulations were enacted, how has consumer trust changed?

One of the biggest things that has changed in the last 20 years is the speed that information travels. Consumers now have information at their fingertips and the ability to fact check. We’ve also got advocates and influencers keeping an eye on brands and sharing findings that have undermined consumer trust in big brands.

What are the organic standards development and certification processes doing right to encourage consumer trust?

When USDA took on organic standards, it was a little bit of a trade off. The organic community gained credibility by having government enforcement with the full rigor and teeth of the federal government behind the standards. From a trust perspective, we gained concrete rules and real enforcement. On the flip side, because the government doesn’t have the agility to change direction quickly, we’ve fallen behind in some consumer expectations. We’ve lost the ability to quickly evolve the organic standards to meet consumer expectations. We see that with the Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices standards. The National Organic Standards Board passed an unanimous recommendation for it in 2012, and it’s still not a regulation. Consumers who have heard that animals don’t have great living conditions on some organic farms have genuine concerns.

The other big trade off is marketing the organic seal. USDA doesn’t have the same marketing apparatus as private industry does, so it falls on organic brands to help consumers understand the benefits of organics. There’s so much to tell about the benefits that it’s hard to get the message across. One group that’s done a great job distilling the benefits of organic is Organic Voices/Only Organic.

What could be improved?

With all the work USDA and the National Organic Program is doing on Strengthening Organic Enforcement, and the issues that led to it, consumers have heard about the potential for fraud. Imported products are a vulnerability, and the new standards increase scrutiny on imports. I think the NOP is now taking real substantive action on vulnerabilities, whether they are real or perceived.

Beyond organic, consumers are keenly aware that ‘cleanwashing’ and ‘greenwashing’ exist. Brands have to be honest, and make clear, specific measurable promises about their ingredients and how they are safeguarding human health and the environment, and they have to engage in a real dialogue with consumers in what they want and need. The promises we make on labels need to be factual and relevant. It’s all about taking a consumer promise and making sure it’s true.

For over 20 years, JOE DICKSON has driven the creation of innovative standards, certification programs and educational content that helps shoppers, brands and retailers align consumer intent with real impact throughout the supply chain. He served on the National Organic Standards Board from 2010-2015 and has established a solid track record of developing standards and certification programs in food, agriculture, cosmetics and textiles. Joe has built his career developing rigorous standards and accessible, relatable information that builds deep trust between consumers and brands. He will be speaking on “Building Consumer Trust in an Era of Consumer Skepticism” September 29 as part of Radicle Science’s Radicle Perspectives series. Register here.