Building trust with the consumers who are influencing decisions made at the store level—including the types of merchandise stocked and services offered—is a vital part of today’s retail business environment.

America’s pork producers and the pork industry are strengthening and maintaining that trust through the We Care initiative.

This all-encompassing philosophy is a way of doing business and a proactive approach to the marketplace. We Care isn’t just the latest campaign—it’s a way of life for our industry.

The first step in building trust and social responsibility was the adoption of the pork industry’s Statement of Ethical Principles. The six guiding principles were drafted by a group of producer leaders and ratified in March 2008 by delegates at the Pork Industry Forum.

In the principles, producers affirm their obligation to produce safe food; protect and promote animal well-being; ensure practices to protect public health; safeguard natural resources in all industry practices; provide a work environment that is safe and consistent with the industry’s other ethical principles; and contribute to a better quality of life in our communities.

These principles are America’s pork producers’ core values. These values haven’t changed through the many decades that U.S. pork producers have been producing the safest and highest-quality pork in the world. And they won’t change in the future. As technology and manufacturing advance, our industry’s commitment to doing the right thing won’t be compromised.

The We Care initiative also provides retailers with the opportunity to educate and reassure consumers about the pork industry and its products. A simple equation that sums up our philosophy is: Principles + Practices = Commitment & Proof.

We have launched a Web site that is solely focused on our We Care philosophy, porkcares.org. This site provides more details about all of the programs that fit under the We Care umbrella. It also offers resource materials that enable retailers to answer consumers’ questions about the pork sector.

Pork producers and the entire pork industry are committed to the long-term goal of building and retaining consumer trust, a goal we are achieving through We Care.

Digital Advocacy

Retailers understand the importance of female purchasing power. The National Pork Board also is constantly looking for opportunities to influence these decision-makers.

One method is by providing pork-related news through top bloggers.

The National Pork Board, for instance, is powering the first blog about all things pork: www.porkknifeandspoon.com.

Written by pork lovers Shauna James Ahern and her chef husband Daniel Fitzgerald Ahern, the blog offers recipes, cooking tips, trends and photography. It has generated more than 16,000 page views and nearly 80 reader comments

To further increase pork’s presence in the blogosphere, the National Pork Board also is hosting a booth at the BlogHer conference in Chicago in July.

Jarrod Sutton is director of retail marketing for the Clive, Iowa-based National Pork Board.