Record high trust in rural industries driven by innovation

The latest results from the Community Trust in Rural Industries program shows community support for Australia’s rural industries and the value they bring to our society is at its highest level since the program began in 2019.

This program is a collaboration between Hort Innovation, Australian Eggs, Cotton Research and Development Corporation, Fisheries Research and Development Corporation, and Grains Research and Development Corporation and AgriFutures Australia.

Innovation in rural industries has emerged as a new driver of trust in 2024, providing rural industries with a chance to build trust around issues such as environmental management and transparency.

When asked if rural industries have made significant investments in new technologies over the years, 67% of respondents agreed. Similarly, 67% of respondents agreed that these industries have successfully used new technologies to improve their operations.

Speaking to the results from this year’s survey, AgriFutures Australia’s Senior Manager Rural Futures, Ms Ulicia Raufers highlighted the essential role of technological advancement in driving innovation and sustainability within rural industries.

“The strong support shown by respondents recognising the positive impact of new technologies underscores a strong commitment to innovation across rural industries,” said Ms Raufers.

“This investment in advanced technologies from our rural industries not only drives efficiency and productivity but also provides a powerful means to address critical areas like environmental management and transparency.

“By embracing these advancements, rural industries are positioning themselves to meet evolving demands and strengthening their sustainability.”

Ms Raufers also said environmental responsibility has emerged as a key factor in building public trust with survey results showing that prioritising sustainable practices can significantly enhance community confidence in these industries.

“It’s essential that we continue to prioritise and clearly communicate our efforts in this area to the community. There’s a tremendous opportunity here to strengthen community confidence by showcasing our commitment to sustainable practices.”

The Community Trust in Rural Industries program, now in its fifth year, aims to provide rural industries with timely and effective insights to help the sector create a deeper relationship with the Australian community based on trust. Overseen by the independent data science firm Voconiq and leveraging research methodologies developed by Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, the program has surveyed more than 25,300 people.

Voconiq Research lead Dr Kieren Moffat said the insights from this year’s survey highlighted several areas of significance.

“The survey highlighted the ongoing importance of environmental responsibility, animal welfare, and industry responsiveness as critical drivers of trust and acceptance,” Dr Moffat said.

“The data demonstrates strong trust and acceptance of Australian rural industries within the community and that the key drivers of this trust and acceptance have remained consistent throughout the duration of the program.”

Other key findings this year included:

• Environmental management was the strongest driver of trust and acceptance in 2024, for a third year in a row, with sustainable practices becoming an important consideration.
• Animal welfare was the second strongest driver of trust, consistent with last year’s research.
• In Year Five, more Australians than ever agreed that rural industries are responsive to community needs and concerns, demonstrating that efforts made by industries to respond are effective and improving.
• Regulation provides a way for community to be confident in the processes happening in rural industries behind the scenes. High neutral responses to some questions provide rural industries with a chance to communicate to community what approaches are in place.