Exploring Social Media to Understand Perceptions of Milk Quality among Farmers, Processors, and Citizen-Consumers

Abstract

Milk consumption is crucial for a balanced diet, yet recent trends indicate a decline, especially in Italy. A significant factor in this decline is the altered perception of milk quality among consumers, which has created a communication gap between them and other stakeholders. This study aimed to explore the discourse on social media and sentiment towards the concept of milk quality among consumers, farmers, and processors. The research adopted social media analysis to examine online-community messages. A sample of 19,906 Italian comments and posts mentioning keywords “milk”, “quality”, “cow”, and “vaccine” was collected and categorized using term-frequency analysis, correspondence analysis, and sentiment analysis. Results highlighted gaps in perceptions of milk quality: farmers focused on economic issues, consumers on animal welfare and health, and processors on lactose content. For farmers, almost all comments were negative, while for processors, nearly all comments were positive. Consumers presented a more mixed picture. This work contributes to the literature by expanding research on milk quality, using social media as a source of information. The findings suggest that enhancing communication and understanding among these groups could lead to more effective strategies for addressing consumer concerns, potentially reversing the decline in milk consumption.